The Beginning of the End
by Starlit tears
Summary: Last chappie... sob It was so much fun!
1. Chapter 1

Well this is it, my first attempt at any type of story. Let's hope this works out right. Hope lots of people read and enjoy. Be honest and please review!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Harry Potter and his world. That good juicy stuff is all J.K. Rowling's. I'm just making a new story with it!!! And now, on with the story!!!   
  
Draco was running across the abandoned Quidditch field with a heart full of fear. Overhead many dark figures on brooms flew, casting a jet of green or red light wherever they pleased. The grass stirred below him as if preparing for the certain doom that loomed overhead. The moon and the light of many wands including his own were his only guides. The wind whispered through the trees, mingling with the sounds of laughter and screams. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a dark figure emerged running toward him. He grabbed it by the arms and peered down at its' face. A pairs of brown eyes were illuminated by the shot of red light that flew past them.He held Hermione Granger close to him and continued to run, only to be stopped short by two figures, descending on brooms right in front of him.

The closest one spoke. "Nice work, son. You caught Potter's little mudblood brat all on your own. Now... hand her here."

Draco held Hermione tighter and stared defiantly at his father. "No! You will not touch her!"

"Don't be a fool, boy. Listen to your father and hand the girl to me. Do you wish to shame your family?" The speaker had a cold high pitched voice. He didn't need to lower his hood for Draco to identify him as Voldemort.

"You won't touch her." Draco repeated now stepping in front of Hermione and raising his wand to his father's hooded form. He wasn't going down with out a fight... and they were not going to get Hermione!

"Foolish boy!" Voldemort screamed. Lucius raised his wand and yelled "stupefy!" and Draco was thrown to the ground, head facing the side. He couldn't move. Somewhere, outside his eyesight, he heard Hermione scream. Several more sounds followed, reminding Draco of the boxing match he went to once. Was she trying to fight back?

After a final scream, Hermione landed on the ground next to him. She faced him, but was still. Her eyes, once full of life and happiness, were now empty and dull. Her hair fell down over one cheek and a thin trail of blood ran from the side of her head. Her face was white, and her lips slightly parted. Hermione Granger, the smartest girl Hogwarts had ever known, was dead. Draco let out a scream as the world around him began to fade. The last thing he saw was Hermione, staring at him through lifeless eyes.....   
  
"Draco, mate, c'mon wake up. Wake up, Draco. Draco, GET UP!!!" Someone shook Draco awake. When he opened his eyes they were met by the cold, black ones of Blaise, who slept in the bed next to his. After snapping at him to go back to sleep, Draco left the room and went down to the empty common room. The fire was out for the night. He didn't mind, he sat on the windowsill and peered out into the moonlit night. The moon was nearly full.

With a shudder, Draco remembered his big false image, the one he put on for his father. For about two years now, he could remember his heart beginning to change. He no longer wanted to be a death eater like his father, but he couldn't tell him that. He had to look tough in order for his father to trust him. All his work paid off as he remembered the crucial detail his father had let slip, only a month ago. A plan Voldemort had thought up. It was a sickening idea, and Draco grew pale just thinking of it.

He wouldn't let that happen. It was time to choose a side and stick with it. Now, whenever he looked at another student, he would see death, terror, and sadness in their eyes. In one curly brown-haired Gryffindor girl more then anyone else, he could see the end of peace and the beginning of a war no wizard or muggle would be able to avoid. A war that would lead to the end of all things. With a sigh, he looked out the window at the moon. Voldemort's night was coming soon, and he was the only one at Hogwarts prepared.

A/N well, this is just the beggining. I hope you like it, I had to change the whole thing around 3 times. Please review!!!


	2. Chapter 2

Well, here's chapter two, on with the fun people! Hope you enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I must assure you people that all the characters, places and content of this story do not belong to me. Most, if not all of this belongs to J.K. Rowling who creatively thought up our friend Harry Potter and his world of magic. She's the genius, not me!  
  
Draco looked around the Great Hall that morning, searching for one person more than anything else. With a sigh of relief, he spotted her talking with her beloved friends, Weasel and Potty. As he watched Hermione laughed at something the stupid little red-head said and Weasley blushed. It was apparent to Draco what he really thought of Hermione.  
She seemed to notice too because almost at once she looked away, toward another table. Draco laughed. She didn't like him back! Maybe this girl does have her brain in the right place besides studying.  
  
Hermione sat with Ron and Harry, like always. And, like always, Ron tried to impress her with a funny story about when he had accidentally tried to use his mom's old broom to race and discovered that it was just a regular muggle broom that couldn't fly. She laughed, like always and they began their normal routine.  
"Hermione, can I ask you something?"  
Oh boy, here it comes she thought to herself. Instead of voicing her complaint, however, she smiled at him and said "Sure Ron. What's up?"  
"Hermione, you still don't like me do you? I mean, as a friend you like me, but I'm talking about, you know, more than friends. You still think it wouldn't work, don't you?"  
Hermione sighed. Every day he asks me this stupid question and every day I have to tell him the same answer. What is wrong with this kid? She looked at him and said in the sincerest voice possible, "No, Ron, I still don't think it's a good idea for us to start dating. I like you and all, but, you're like a brother to me, you know? I think we're better off as friends."  
She turned away and Harry, after finishing a mouthful of toast and eggs, said loudly to both of them, "Yeah Ron. Besides, you can't have 'Mione because she's mine. She is like my wife or something."  
They all burst into peals of laughter and didn't stop until they reached the dungeons for potions class. Then, they were doing anything but laughing.  
  
The day passed by, like normal, and it wasn't until they were in the common room doing homework that it happened. There was a blinding light in the sky outside. Seconds later a boom shook the castle. Several screams followed and the trio soon knew what was happening. Voldemort had finally crossed the line and was attacking Hogwarts.  
They ran outside, trying to think of a place to go where no one would find them. Being the famous trio they were, however, they were among the first to be spotted, even though they were running through the forbidden forest. Harry grabbed Hermione by the arm and pushed her towards the Quidditch field. He yelled to both her and Ron, "Separate and run, you two. Now, get moving!"  
Hermione ran as fast as she could, dodging trees and jumping rocks that seemed to spring up and surprise her. Behind her she could hear the continued stream of shouts, mingling in the air with the cruel and bone- chilling laughter of many death eaters. She refused to let herself cry and she refused to look back over her shoulder for Harry. She knew neither choice would make her happy or, help her any for that matter.  
She reached the Quidditch pitch and her eyes began to betray her. Through the blur of tears, she could make out a figure running towards her with a billowing cloth in it's' hands. Without uttering a sound, she swerved to the left, hoping that whoever it was hadn't seen her. They had and were in fact now chasing her across the field. Hermione tripped over the long ends of her robes. She fell flat on her face and the attacker stood over her, panting slightly from the chase.  
"What do you want?!" Hermione screamed out. She might as well be heard before she died.  
The shadowed person didn't speak. He (at least, she assumed it was a he due to his muscular build) simply bent down and easily lifted her to her feet by grabbing her by the arm. After she screamed and kicked for a minute, he could no longer keep quiet. "Granger, will you just shut up?! They'll hear you, that is, if they haven't already, and then we'll both be fried!"  
"Malfoy, is that you?" She kicked and fought back harder. Without difficulty, he picked her up. "No, put me down! Let me go, you're just going to take me to them."  
Malfoy stopped walking for a moment. He turned and peered at her by the light of the full moon overhead. She was frightened and as his eyes met hers, she stopped squirming. So he asked, "Huh? Now why would I go and do a thing like that, Hermione? Honestly, I don't know what those teachers see in you. Sometimes, you can be pretty thick."  
"I am not!" She kicked at him again, but he merely held her tighter up against his chest. If the situation wasn't so bad, she would've said it was pretty comfortable. She inspected his face, and it held no lies. "So, you're really not going to take me to them, right? I mean, you wouldn't lie about that, right? Right, Draco?"  
He sighed and continued walking towards the forest area again. "My word Hermione, are you that thick?! why on earth would I have to lie about something like that in a situation like this? I've got you right here, you're obviously not going anywhere, and it's not like you could get away if you tried."  
"And you can?" She said the words as though they were a challenge to him. When he looked down at her, his eyes were sparkling brightly, with hidden amusement. At, Hermione knew he had a plan or something that he wasn't telling.  
"Of course I can, woman. I'm a Malfoy, aren't I?" Then, to shut her up as she began to protest about being called woman, he did something he never would've done under better circumstances. He lowered her to the ground and trapped her mouth with his.  
As the sparks from many wands soared above their heads, Hermione clung to him and allowed him, even if it was only this one time, to kiss her. Time seemed to slow down and the sounds of screams and laughter seemed to die into a soft roar, like the ocean. She breathed in his smell, his hypnotic cologne seemed to state it was worth more money than her life. Suddenly, the haze lifted as he stepped away and draped the cloth over both of them. It was an invisibility cloak. His eyes never left her face and he seemed relieved that his little stunt worked. She had not uttered a word yet. Ah, the charm of a Malfoy.  
Without saying anything about what had just happened, he grabbed her arm and began to run. Overhead, two brooms flew by, the occupants talking loudly. One could be heard, clearly yelling about his traitor of a son. Draco smiled up at his father's form, imagining his face if he knew exactly what Draco had been up to this evening. Helping and kissing a muggle-born wouldn't look to good in his fathers eyes. He tried to shake his mind of the thought of kissing her again.  
After all, it was only to shut her up so we could escape unnoticed. I don't love her or anything stupid like that. She's Potters little angel. Not mine...not that I want her to be, or anything. She is, after all, just a filthy little mudblood. He thought bitterly. Still, it was kind of nice kissing her. Her shook himself again, and continued running, dragging her with him.  
A flash of silver caught their eyes before vanishing behind a small door in the side of the castle. They instinctively ran to it and followed. Inside was a small group of people in the shadows. They had been whispering but stopped when the door had opened. One stepped forward. In the light of the moon, streaming in from the open door, Dumbledore stood with his wand pointing at the invisible intruders and called out in a whisper, "Show yourself."  
Draco yanked the cloak off immediately and called out, "Professor Dumbledore, it's us!"  
As Dumbledore lowered his wand the others surged forward calling out Hermione's name. As he watched, she was hugged by Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Luna Lovegood. He watched feeling a slight stab of jealousy, which was quickly washed away by his remembrance of kissing her out there in the light of the moon. Weasley hadn't got that far. Dumbledore however was observing him with a mixture of interest and caution.  
"I would've thought you, of all people Mr. Malfoy, would be out there terrorizing my students with your father. That is to say, your father is out there with Voldemort?" Dumbledore spoke calmly and sternly, his eyes never leaving his face. Hermione and the others watched in suspense as the two stared at each other. Finally, Malfoy spoke.  
"Yes sir, my father is out there and no sir, I have no desire to join him anytime soon."  
"Very well then, Draco, You will be joining the others. As I was saying before you two thankfully arrived, I will be sending you students to America in pairs. You will be going to different areas to keep you safe. You are to remain in America until further notice. Your schooling will be continued by an adult witch or wizard in the area. Now, how shall I do this... alright, listen up. Ron, you and Harry will be sent together. Ginny, you will be paired with Luna. Hermione, you and Draco will be a pair. Sound alright?"  
"Sir, I don't think Hermione should be stuck with Malfoy." Ron piped up at once. He looked upset and kept glancing at Draco as if he was already hatching up a scheme.  
"Do you wish to be paired with Mr. Malfoy? I believe they are civil enough to put up with each other under the circumstances, am I right?"  
Draco and Hermione looked at each other, then they mumbled "yes sir" in unison. Dumbledore seemed happy with this. After very short farewells and one more round of hugging Draco didn't participate in, the groups prepared to leave and grabbed a portkey each. In a matter of moments, they were all in different areas of the United States and the friends were split.  
  
Hermione opened her eyes and looked around. She was on the ground of a small apartment building, the kitchen apparently. She was lying on something squishy and when she moved and it groaned, she realized it was a person. She sat up quickly and said, "I'm sorry, Draco. I didn't mean to. Are you ok..."  
He sat up and chuckled softly at her concern. "I'm fine, Hermione. Really, you're not that heavy. I picked you up easily, remember?"  
She nodded as it all came back to her. She stood up to hide her tears from him. The last thing she needed was to be called a baby or something for crying. She looked around, which took a total of two glorious minutes. There were two beds in the bedroom, a small living room, a bathroom, and a small kitchen with a table in it. At the table were two chairs. "Where are we, Draco?"  
"We're in a small town, somewhere in Massachusetts." His reply came almost instantly. She looked up to see him looking down at a couple flyers on the table. His frown deepened as he continued to look through them. "We must be stuck in one of the smallest, most unnoticed states in this country! We must be in the smallest town too. This is wonderful."  
"Well, it would be harder for the death eaters to find us here, you know. Tomorrow, we should look around and try to find out more about where we are. I am not going to sit around and wait for them to find us or Harry. I'm going to find a way to call them." Hermione said in a daze. How could everything fall apart so fast?  
She went back to the small bedroom and looked around again. Beside one of the beds was a shelf crammed with books. She chose that bed, and sat down. When her eyes fell on her bedside table, there were two things she hadn't seen before. A large leather book opened to reveal pictures of Ginny, Harry, Ron, and herself, all smiling and happy. The other book was a small black one with empty pages. It was a journal. She made her first entry, writing about the attack on Hogwarts and their flight to the United States.  
When Draco entered, he found Hermione sitting there, crying her eyes out. He sighed and sat on the other bed. He couldn't stand hearing her cry; it would keep him up all night. He decided to say something. "We will see them again, you know. It's not like they're gone for good, Hermione."  
She said nothing and turned out her light. There were many things Malfoy didn't know. Malfoy didn't know about the prophesy Harry had been born to fulfill. Now, more than ever, she was certain that prophesy was Harry's. After all, Neville had left the day before to care for his Gram. He had not been there for the attack and he was not meant to be. Harry was.  
  
A/N OK I don't think this chapter was as good as the last one. Well, the ending was kind of dry. I'm sorry! Please read and review. In the next chapter, they look around town, Hermione tries to contact Ginny, and she gets a shock of her own from Malfoy. All I'll say, but you have been warned. 


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you so much for my reviews! I may only have a few, but it's enough to encourage me to continue writing this story. Once again, thank you and please read and review!! Now, on with chapter three!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I am sorry to admit, my friends, that I own nothing. All the wonderful stuff you read belongs to someone else. Harry Potter and friends are J.K. Rowling's property and the town where Hermione and Draco are is based on the town I live in. I just like playing around with the characters!!  
  
Hermione woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs which at first made her think she was home with her parents. Then, she started to remember the events that had occurred the night before and she sat bolt upright. She hurried out to the kitchen where Draco was standing at the stove with a spatula ready to flip the eggs.  
"Good Morning, Granger. How do you like your eggs?" he said when he noticed her standing in the doorway. His hair was falling into his face and his gray eyes surveyed her with amusement. She imagined how horrible she must look with her hair all over the place in a tangled bushy mess and her makeup smudged because she had not washed it off.  
"So, it's back to last names." She replied, ignoring his question as she sat down at the table and looked at the paper in front of her. The pictures weren't moving, it was a muggle paper. She looked up at Draco and said, "Malfoy, where did you get the eggs and bacon?"  
"They were in the fridge, Hermione. Dumbledore must be supplying us with food and stuff, which is a good thing considering I'm not welcome to my money at home anymore. Now, how do you like your eggs?"  
"I'll make my own eggs. I'm very picky and I hate the runny yolk. Hey, since when could you cook? I thought you being a Malfoy, you would have lived off of other people waiting on you hand and foot. You wouldn't have to worry about cooking."  
Draco stepped over to the table and put a plate of eggs, made precisely how she liked them, in front of her. The yolks had been broken and cooked with the rest of the egg. Then, he looked into her eyes and said, "You'll be surprised what I find useful to know, Hermione. You learn something new everyday. I used to hide in the kitchen and talk to the cook whenever father was in one of his moods. In return for my company, the cook taught me to make all kinds of foods. I'm not such a bad guy after all, huh?"  
The question shocked Hermione. Her head shot up from it's steady gaze on the eggs and she looked at him with curiosity. This is Malfoy? This is the boy who tormented me everyday of school at Hogwarts? This had to be a dream or something. After finishing her eggs, she took a shower to think some more and prepare for her day of exploring this town.  
Draco took his after she got out and insisted she wait for him before leaving. So she sat on her bed, reading a book and wondering how she would find her friends again. Finally, after two hours of preparing, Draco was ready to be seen in public. They locked up the apartment and walked out onto the street.  
The street was big and had buildings branching off of either side. It looked like one of the main streets in town. On one side were a pizza house, a doughnut shop, and a bank. On the other side were another bank, the daily news office, and a laundry matt. Outside, several high school boys were skate boarding at an old abandoned building with several rails and steps in front. All in all, it didn't look too inviting. Beside her, Draco muttered "this should be fun." out of the corner of his mouth.  
Hermione sighed and said, "C'mon, lets go this way." She started walking down the street in the other direction away from the skaters.  
"Up that big hill over there? No way, you're out of your mind, Hermione."  
"If you're going to wine, I suggest you stay here and let me investigate. Honestly, some times you're so lazy Draco." She replied over her shoulder and continued walking towards the hill.  
"I'm not staying here either. I'm going to go this way and see shat I find. Then we can compare results and Know about everything in walking distance." His attempt to sound smarter than her only made Hermione laugh. She waved to him and he turned to go the other way.  
  
Up the hill and around the corner of a lonely street with several houses on either side, Hermione found a tennis court. Two guys were playing against each other and there were two girls sitting on a bench nearby. One girl was watching the curly, black-haired boy with adoration, the other simply sat there reading a book. Occasionally, the boy looked up, but the girl continued reading, ignoring everything and everyone. Then, she looked up at Hermione and smiled.  
Hermione walked over to her nervously and sat down. The girl had curly brown hair like hers, but her eyes were a hazel brown-green. She had a peaceful look about her, like everything in the world amused her. She put her book aside and said, "Hi, my name's Alexandra, or Alex as I prefer. What's yours?"  
"I'm Hermione." She replied, embarrassed by her English accent, which was bound to be noticed. Sure enough, the girls eyes widened and she seemed delighted.  
"You're English? Oh, you're so lucky. My great grandfather was English. I wish I was but I've lived here my whole entire life. I've never even been to England. Is it nice?"  
Hermione nodded; relieved by the pleasant reaction she received from this girl. "Yes, I just moved here. It's temporary, I think. Still, I miss my friends dearly. They had to move to a different area and I don't know where..."  
"Maybe I can help you. If you don't mind a walk, we can go to my house and I can look them up for you." Alex seemed excited as she offered her help. This was one friend Hermione was glad to have found.  
"What about your other friend?" Hermione looked over at the blue-eyed girl watching the tennis player, who had taken a break and was now standing at the fence watching the three girls with interest.  
"Oh, you guys go ahead, I'm fine right here on my own. Besides, if Alex leaves, he won't be distracted as much. I'm telling you Alex, he really likes you." The girl never took her eyes of the boy. She was obviously obsessed. Hermione laughed at the thought of being obsessed with someone. She had never been that bad.  
Alex stood up and said bye to her friend. Then, she walked right in front of the boy still on his break and didn't even spare him a glance. The boy simply went back to his game with his fan watching him from her place on the bench.  
They walked to her house which was on the other side of a lake, up a hill in the graveyard, and around a corner. As soon as they got there, Alex grabbed the phone and dialed three numbers. She explained by saying, "This is the only thing I can think to do. What's your friends' name?"  
"Ginny. Her name is Ginny Weasley."  
"Is that her full name?"  
"No, her first name is Ginevera. Her last name is Weasley though."  
Alex smiled and nodded, then spoke into the receiver. "Hello, can you please get me the list of Ginevera Weasley's living in the country please. Yes I'd like numbers too. Ok, thank you very much."  
She looked at Hermione, who was now staring at her in shock, her mouth slightly open. She giggled and said to her, "It's good to have connections. Daddy works at some big company for the government and they know everyone living in the States. They put me on hold while they look the name up, but it shouldn't take too much longer."  
Minutes later, Hermione had the information she needed. There was only one Ginevera Weasley living in the United States. She and her friend had just checked in to an apartment building in an area unknown. Hermione did have the number though. After thanking Alex, she returned home to call Ginny.  
It was getting late. As the sun set it cast shadows of beings unknown against the walls and streets. The skaters were gone and the walk was unnaturally quiet. There were no birds or people making noise, only a lone bat flew in the sky. With a shiver, she ran into her apartment. Draco was not back yet.  
Hermione grabbed the phone and called the number written on the back of her hand. She would transfer it to paper later. Now, she really didn't care. Her heart leaped when the phone stopped ringing and a familiar voice sounded on the other end. "Hello?"  
"Ginny! Ginny, it's me, this is Hermione! How are you?"  
"Oh my- Hermione, is it really you? Oh Hermione it's so good to hear your voice! Luna and I are just fine, or as fine as to be expected after what happened. Oh, Hermione, I can't believe we are all separated and in the states. This is awful. I miss Ron and Harry, too. Do you think they're Ok?"  
"I think they're fine, Ginny. They take care of themselves pretty well. Listen, I'm going back to England."  
"What? B-but Dumbledore said-"  
"I don't care what Dumbledore said! There's a war going on and we're just sitting ducks waiting for him to take over the world or something. I've got to do something."  
"How will you get there? We don't have any money, do you?"  
"Well, no. But I'm going to England no matter what. I've got to help- "  
She was interrupted by the sound of the door opening and Draco stumbling in. He looked worse for wear. "Oh, my...uh Ginny, I'm going to have to call you back."  
She ran to Draco's side as he tripped and fell to the ground, slamming the door with a bang. He sat on the ground gazing up at her with cloudy eyes and a smile danced on his perfect lips. His voice was so quiet, she could barely hear him as he whispered, "hey."  
"Draco are you alright? What happened?" she asked with concern flickering across her face. Draco burst out laughing in her face. A horrible smell came from his mouth.  
"Ha, you fell for it! I'm fine, in fact, I've never been better. You are so gullible, just like that time you know, when...uh, you remember, don't you?"  
"You're drunk! How dare you... I should... what's wrong with you? How did you get alcohol, you... you...argh!" she screamed in frustration and disgust, pounding the floor lightly with her fists. She observed Draco with narrowed eyes after calming down enough to see in normal colors rather than red.  
"I got the stuff off of some guy when he wasn't looking. Hermione, he didn't know what hit him. You should have been there, it was funny." He giggled softly.  
"You're not going to know what hit you in a moment. I'm so mad at you write now, it's not even funny!" She could feel her cheeks burning angrily. How could he be so foolish? The idiot got drunk, and then walked home through a strange neighborhood... and with the dark lord and his father after him! His voice disturbed her thoughts.  
"You have beautiful eyes."  
She blinked as a sudden wave of pity hit her. She could finish yelling at him tomorrow, before the after affects wore off. She grabbed his arm and helped him up. Then, she half dragged him to bathroom, where she propped him up next to the toilet.  
"Now, you are going to stay here tonight, got it? Right next to the toilet where you can, well you know. Just stay here and don't move at all. I'll finish dealing with you tomorrow..."  
Draco didn't seem to be listening. Already, he seemed to look half sober. He was gazing at Hermione with wide eyes. Then, in a sleepy, dreamy voice, he said, "You are so pretty when you're mad, you know that, right?"  
Hermione gaped at him for the second time that night. Why did he keep saying these things? Even drunk people didn't tell lots of lies. If anything, their tongues loosened to tell the truth. She decided to drop it and closed the door with a sigh. She actually missed the old Malfoy at times like this.  
"Good night, Hermione. I'll be thinking of you!" he called through the closed door. With another angry cry, she stalked off to continue reading her book. She only had a few more pages to go. A knock at the door however, sent her on her feet running to answer it.  
A cranky looking old lady, stood outside, clutching a very scruffy looking cat. She glared at Hermione then bellowed, "Keep it down, will you?! Some of us like to sleep. Besides, you startled poor Norma..."  
Hermione glanced at the cat. Norma? Then she shook herself and looked up at the woman again. "I'm very, very sorry, madam. Really, it won't happen again, I promise. I'm just having some trouble with my room mate, he's not feeling well. Please forgive me."  
Suddenly, the old lady smiled revealing several gaps where teeth should have been. "I knew that Draco would be just like his mother."  
It was another surprise for poor, Hermione, whose head was now starting to spin. "You know Draco and his mother? What's going on here?"  
With a dry cackle, the old woman handed Hermione a package. "Here are your assignments for the coming week. Both yours and his are in there. Hand them back to me neatly when you finish. I'll give them to my son, Argus and he'll give them to your teachers in exchange for the next ones and so on. And make sure you keep it down!"  
That was Filch's mom?! Hermione shut the door, saying to herself, "This just keeps getting weirder and weirder."

A/N well, how'd you like it? I promise to work on the next chapter. Until then, review!


	4. Chapter 4

Oh, thank you all so much for reviewing!!! Those of you who noticed misspelled words, I'm sorry! I was in a rush to get it out. About the little mix-up with Ginny's name: call me an obsessed fan but J.K. Rowling has an official website and I read Ginny's name was Ginevra. I looked it up again at (her website) and it is in fact Ginevra. Sorry for confusion and mix ups!!! On with that little disclaimer and then, the story!!! Disclaimer: I own nothing that has to do with Harry Potter or the town they are in. Harry and co. belong to a brilliant writer by the name of J.K. Rowling. The town belongs to the state of Massachusetts in the United States. I just like making stories.   
  
Hermione woke up to the sound of the toilet being flushed and Draco moaning and groaning. 'Wonderful' she thought as she sat up and yawned. On her bedside table were the assignments that batty old woman had handed her.... Filch's mother. She picked them up and walked toward the bathroom door. She knocked.

"What?! What do you want, Hermione. I'm kind of busy here and you're hurting my head. Stop knocking!" Draco replied through the closed door.

Hermione smiled to herself, but stopped pounding on the door. How she loved to torment him. It was so much fun and he never did anything to get even. Well, he did call her names... but what are names compared to the torture of extremely painful head aches? The toilet flushed again and she could hear water running in the sink.

"Draco, an old woman stopped by last night while you were off in dreamland beside the toilet. She gave me our assignments for this week. I'll put yours by your bed." She paused and there was a groan in response to her news. Suddenly, she felt that pity again. That cursed pity for the boy who had made life at school practically unbearable. Ron always said her heart was too big... she shook herself. Thinking about Ron hurt. If she never saw him again, he would remember her for turning him down as a boyfriend.

"Draco, do you need anything?"

"Yes. I need you to go away and leave me alone! I really can't stand it when you're bugging me, Granger!"

She frowned at the closed door. 'So much for being nice' she thought to herself. After a final tap on the door, she returned to the bedroom and put the assignments away. Then, she walked into the kitchen in search of food. She found some cereal in the cupboard. While she ate, she wondered what she would do today. Trying to contact Ginny all the time would be murder on the phone and there wasn't much to say anyways. Draco would only bug her if she went anywhere with him and he was in no state to leave the house. She decided to look for Alex and talk with her. After all, she was extremely helpful the day before. So she washed her bowl and got ready.  
  
She walked past the bathroom for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. 'No shower today' she thought bitterly. Once again, she insisted on making her presence known to him by banging on the door. An angry cry followed her to the room, causing her to smile. Maybe this wasn't so bad. After all, he brought it on himself.  
  
She stepped out into the street. The sun was shining brightly at the half- way mark in the sky. It was around noon. Hermione did not have to search too long before she found Alex. The young girl was walking up the street toward the tennis courts when Hermione called to her. She turned and waited.  
  
"Hey, Hermione what's up?"  
  
Hermione explained about how Draco was bent over a toilet and she decided to find Alex so she wouldn't be stuck with him. Alex laughed. Then, Hermione asked her, "So what are you up to? I'm not interrupting anything, right?"  
  
"Oh no, you're not interrupting. I'm just on my way home after trying to convince a stubborn boy to talk to my friend. The one from the tennis courts, you remember him? Yeah, he won't talk to her because a bunch of others bugged him."  
  
"Oh, that's not very nice..." Hermione said frowning. She didn't really know what to say. Alex wasn't really listening, however. Her eyes were on Hermione's face, searching for something. Then, she shrugged slightly and continued to walk with Hermione following.  
  
"Alex, what's wrong? What is it?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, nothing it's just you remind me of someone in a story I read. But... No that's impossible! It was just a story." She laughed a little, as if to assure herself. She seemed nervous and thoughtful.  
  
"What story?"  
  
"It's about this boy who goes to a school for wizards. You remind me of one of his friends. They are very interesting books."  
  
"What are they called" Hermione asked, unable to keep the nervous shake out of her voice. What if there was a connection? What if Alex found out? What if she got suspicious? What would happen?  
  
Alex stopped walking and pulled a book out of her bag. She handed it to Hermione and on the cover was-  
  
"Harry!" Hermione squealed. The boy on the front looked just like him with thick, black-rimmed glasses, baggy clothes, messy black hair, and of course, the most crucial detail... the scar. The books title was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. She could only assume they meant Sirius.  
  
"I know it's only the third one but it's my favorite. I've read it a million times!" Alex said looking at Hermione through narrowed eyes. She was getting suspicious. Hermione had to make a cover up story.  
  
"I miss my books. They're back in England and I haven't read them in so long. I'm just glad to see a familiar face."  
  
Instantly, Alex smiled. "I know the feeling. You can read if you want. I finished it at my friends' house while she was signing online. Just make sure you remember to return it. Oh, and be careful. Some of the pages are loose because I read it so often."  
  
"Thank you very much, Alex. I'll read it tonight. I'm so happy I could jump!"  
  
Alex laughed. "It's just a book, Hermione! You have as long as you need. Just don't forget to return it if you leave."  
  
"Oh, thank you so much."  
Several hours later, Hermione walked into the apartment. She had spent the whole day looking around town with Alex. Now, she dreaded returning to the waiting arms of Draco the Drunk Ferret. But when she got there, Draco was gone. On the table there was a note:  
  
Hermione,  
Sorry for snapping at you earlier. As you know, I was in no fit state to entertain. I have gone to check on something in town. I'll be back soon, I promise. From,  
Draco

P.S. don't think you're getting away with things this time. Banging on the door was just pushing a little too far. You've been warned.  
  
Hermione felt her mouth slide open in shock. Draco... the Draco Malfoy... was apologizing to her? This was just too weird. What, had the world turned upside down while she was sleeping last week?  
  
With a small sigh, she sat down and pulled out the book Alex had let her borrow. She felt her nerves tightened as each sentence brought her closer to the truth of what went on in Hogwarts. This was no false tale. Who was this woman? How did she know about Hogwarts? This was too creepy...  
  
Hermione looked up when she heard the door open and shut. How long had she been reading? She looked around. The sun was setting outside, sending beams of orange and red light into the room to dance upon her face. It illuminated everything with a dark and mysterious gloom. She shivered as a breeze blew in from the open window. As she stood closing it, she heard footsteps enter the room.  
  
"Hey" Draco said, without much interest.  
  
"Hey yourself." She replied. She didn't know why, but she felt like giving him the cold shoulder. 'He deserves it' she told herself. Plus she was bored and always found it fun to appear uninterested. Mostly, when it came to Draco, all she ever did was appear uninterested. He didn't care, so why should she?  
  
As she sat down to read her book, she heard him sigh, and could just picture him running a hand through his hair. She smiled to herself, behind the shield of her book. She was finally starting to get to him. He crossed the room and sat in the chair facing her.  
  
"Alright, what did I do this time?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You're mad at me, Hermione. You know that's what I mean! Why do you do this?"  
  
Hermione looked at him innocently over the top of her book. He was giving her a pained look. That look was familiar. She hid a startled gasp when she recognized it. It was the look Ron gave her when she got mad and distant with him. It reminded her of a dog who knew its owner was mad at it. She could almost hear him whimpering. She shook her head, and then spoke in what she hoped was her normal voice.  
  
"First of all, Draco, I never said I was mad at you. Secondly, I don't know what you're talking about when you say 'why do you do this?' What exactly am I doing?"  
  
Draco felt his face grow paler than normal and a small tint of red entered his cheeks. He felt, rather than saw Hermione's smile of satisfaction. Still, he held his ground.  
  
"Oh, stop playing dumb, Hermione! You know what you're doing. You're acting like you don't care. Like... like it wouldn't even matter to you if I dropped dead right here." His voice was just a whisper and he sounded hurt. Hermione's pity returned at full force. Still, she continued to read her book, as if he hadn't spoken. As if he wasn't even there.  
  
Suddenly, Draco fell to a heap on the floor. He lay there, not moving. Hermione put the book aside and looked him over. She couldn't tell if he was breathing or not. Hesitantly, she said, "Draco?"  
  
No answer. She knelt next to him and whispered in his ear, "Draco?"  
  
Still he didn't answer her. She could feel her panic rising as her voice got stuck in her throat. "D-Draco? Answer me!!"  
  
A/N: sorry for the cliff hanger my friends!! I'm sorry! The next chapter will be great, I promise! Just hold in there for me!! I can't wait to start typing the next one!!! Oh yes sorry this is a mess... it wouldn't load right.


	5. Chapter 5

You people make me laugh! I see how desperate some of you sound so I will start writing right away!!!! Please review at the end!!  
  
Disclaimer: Ok sad to say, I own nothing you read in this story, just the plot. Everything else is J.K. Rowling and of course the town is obviously not mine. The character, Alex, is though, so I do own something!   
  
"Draco! Stop it! This isn't funny!" Hermione eyes widened as Draco remained motionless. 'He's not joking.' She thought. 'He would have woken up by now, right? Oh, what am I suppose to do, CPR or something?'  
She shook him one last time, as if hoping he would jump up. When he didn't she whimpered softly. "Oh, I really don't want to do this."  
She had taken a course on baby-sitting one summer. They had taught her how to do CPR as well as the Heimlich maneuver and what to do if they are vomiting in their sleep. Yummy stuff. Slowly she lowered her face to his, grimacing and closing her eyes as she did. She wanted to scream. 'Why? Why did he have to do this to her? Couldn't he have passed out on someone else?'  
As slowly as she dared, she met his mouth with her own to do CPR. She couldn't do it, however. As soon as her face was close enough, Draco's hands shot up and cupped her face. She was too shocked to do anything. Before she knew it, he was kissing her. She shrieked against his lips but he wouldn't let go. She slapped him across the face; still he refused to stop kissing her.  
Finally, he pulled away. His breathing was heavy and his hair was messed up, several bangs fell into his forehead. He looked at Hermione like he had never seen her before. His eyes warmed as her chocolate-brown ones filled with confusion, all traces of real anger vanishing. Still, she insisted on playing it out.  
"You... you... why did you do that? What do you think you were doing?! You scared me half to death and then you kiss me? I can't believe you sometimes, Draco. You really are-"  
She was cut off by Draco who kissed her again, then laughed. The second kiss was merely to shut her up. The first one, he convinced himself had been provoked by her presence so close to him. He wanted to see her reaction too and it was worth it. He pushed a strand of curly brown hair out of her eyes. "I had you so fooled, Hermione. You should have seen your face!" his voice rose in pitch, mimicking a frightened girl. "Draco? Oh Draco, stop! This isn't funny!"  
Her eyes sparkled, but not with anger. She was shocked that he did this to her. He had kissed her three times in the past couple of days, and he thought nothing of it. He laughed at it! He didn't kiss her because he loved her, of course not! He kissed her to get a reaction, to make her shut up, to cause her pain. She always wanted her kisses to be special, romantic. Yet here was this, this guy kissing her for the fun of it, ruining all her dreams of her romance and love. He was hurting her in the worst possible way... and she was a fool for him.  
"Oh, come on, Hermione. You know it wasn't that bad! You know you wanted too. Why do you look so upset?" Draco searched her face for answers, for anything that would give away her feelings for him, but she remained vacant. He was slightly upset about this but he wouldn't let it show for a moment. If she could hide it, so could he. He had now begun to realize his feelings for this mysterious brown-eyed girl ran deeper than he had thought.  
She stood up and turned away. As she walked towards the bathroom she said, "You know, Draco, kisses are suppose to be special. They are supposed to mean something. If I were you, I wouldn't waste them on someone you can't stand, someone like me. My kisses are supposed to be special too, not taken for granted."  
Before he could say anything, she shut the bathroom door and ran herself a bath. As she soaked, her mind kept wondering back to him and that scene in the living room. Why had he done that? Was he that desperate for... whatever he was desperate for? What would that be... companionship, love? Yeah right.  
She laughed out loud at the thought of Draco being a loving person towards anyone but his perfect pure-blood girlfriends that followed him around Hogwarts. Maybe that's why he kissed her. Maybe he missed Pansy and the rest of his fan club. That's disgusting! She cleared the thoughts out of her head by sinking to the bottom of the tub where she could hear nothing, she was safe. Proud as she was of her ability to hold her breath forever what she saw when she opened her eyes forced her to open her mouth in an underwater gasp.  
She rose to the surface, coughing and sputtering while managing to choke out, "Myrtle! What do you think you are doing?"  
The ghost smiled at her pain and laughed. "I'm checking up on you and ferret-face of course! What, did you think Dumbledore would let you loose in the world to wreak havoc on the poor muggles? Without checking up on you?" she added the last part as if it didn't really matter. Outside the door, Hermione could hear rapidly approaching footsteps.  
"Hermione, what happened? Are you alright?" Draco's voice sounded worried, as if her life meant the world to him and more.  
"I'm fine, Draco. I just got a little surprise from Myrtle. Go back to being you and kissing whatever girl you get your hands on!" She was surprised by the anger in her own voice. She hadn't meant for the last part to come out. Sure, she had been thinking it, but she knew by saying it, she would either anger him, or let him know she cared... or both.  
"What?! Hermione, I've never even kissed another girl before you! What makes you think that I've kissed enough to earn me a reputation?" He didn't sound angry. Only shocked and hurt.  
"You're lying!" Hermione shrieked through the closed door. She had always been able to recognize a lie in someone voice. Besides, his kiss had not been that of an inexperienced young man. She couldn't have been his first. His lies only hurt her more.  
There was a pause. Then, Myrtle exclaimed, "Well, everything is normal here. See you later!" and faded away. There was another pause. Hermione began to think that Draco went away, too. Then, a soft voice drifted through the silence, shattering it like glass.  
"You're right, I am lying. That's not the way to gain your trust, is it? Alright, I have kissed some one else, but she was a mistake! I'd tell you more but its uncomfortable talking to a door..." He sounded uncomfortable, and sad for that matter. He really wanted to talk.  
Hermione got out of the bath, got dressed and combed her hair. Then, she walked out to the living room where Draco was sitting and sat next him. "Tell me."  
Draco sighed and looked down at his hands, unable to look at her without wanting to run his fingers through her hair and hold her close. He shook himself before starting. "As you've probably guessed, it was Pansy. I never did like her, not the way she liked me. As a friend, she was fine, and then she started demanding more than that. I told her flat out: No. Still, she wouldn't leave me alone. One night she went too far. She drugged my pumpkin juice with a love potion she stole from Snape. It was in his special store because of the intensity of it. I was in the grip of that potion for three months. Three months, Hermione and I couldn't do anything. After that I had been so angry at her, I think she gave up because she's never bothered me to be her boyfriend since."  
Hermione shivered. Everything he said had been true. She could feel it. She suddenly felt drowsy and worn out. She leaned up against him and spoke into his shirt. "That sounds like Ron sometimes. Once he tried to drug me. Harry, what a friend, stopped him and told me about it. I suppose I forgave him because he hadn't gotten as far as drugging me before being stopped. He won't leave me alone, even after I told him I don't like him."  
Draco felt her slowly drift to sleep and he did nothing to stop her. Instead he picked up her book and frowned when he read the cover. So the muggles do know who Potter is. Who told them? Was this woman a muggle or was she one of them, a witch? He dismissed the subject with a shrug. He was sure Hermione was concerned enough for the both of them.  
Beside him, she mumbled in her sleep. Only a little bit of what she said was clear enough to understand. "I'm going home..."  
Soon after, he too joined her in sleep and they remained there the whole night.  
  
Hermione woke up with her head on the cushions on the couch. She sat up straight and looked around. Alex's book was on the table beside her, closed with two different pages book marked. Draco had started reading it too. Speaking of Draco... where was he?  
A shadow filled the doorway and Hermione felt her jaw drop as she looked up. There he was, looking around for something and hardly noticing her at all. He walked in and ran a hand through his blond hair in thought. He was shirtless and she couldn't help but notice his muscle-covered stomach. 'He must work out a lot.' She thought to herself.  
Draco looked at her and laughed. She realized her mouth was hanging open still and shut it before she would start drooling. He walked around the room still searching. "Hermione, have you seen any money or anything? My shirts filthy and I need another one..."  
"Your closet doesn't supply you with clothes? Mine does, I couldn't live without changing every day." She replied following him out of the corner of her eye. He disappeared into the bedroom and reappeared a moment later tugging a T-shirt over his head.  
"Thanks. I never would have thought of that. My money must be in my other shirt. Now I don't have to waste it on clothes." He smiled down at her with sparkling eyes. She shivered for some reason, and then she got up and went into the bathroom.  
She only took a ten-minute shower. Because she had bathed the night before, she didn't think she smelled, but still she had to be on the safe side. Who knows? Maybe she smelled like Draco's cologne. She stepped out of the bathroom scrunching her hair to make it curl. On the way she bumped into Draco.  
This time, it was his turn to gape. She had tried something new today. Instead of her usual long-sleeves or T-shirt, she wore a spaghetti strap tank top and her jeans were baggy with a tear on one knee. Her belt was black with a star and several chains were attached to it, winding around her leg to her pocket and a belt loop. She looked kind of tough, but definitely like an outsider. Her curly hair softened the look a bit and so did the smile she gave Draco as he gulped like a fish.  
"You look different today. Why the change in wardrobe?" he finally managed to choke these words out of his tightened throat. She looked so beautiful in that outfit. She had been beautiful before, but this... this was just too much for him to handle smoothly.  
"I always wanted an outfit like this. I found it in the closet. You don't think it looks bad do you?" she sounded worried, as if he would determine her fate and he would judge what others thought of her. She was expressing her self through and outfit that was very creative as well as cool.  
"You look great! You're being different in a way everyone will accept. I like it, Hermione." She smiled at him and he felt his cheeks turn red. 'What's wrong with you, Malfoy? Snap out of it! She wouldn't like you, not the way you like her. Certainly not after the way you treated her...' He thought to himself. Another voice in his head was slowly winning him over, becoming more heard than the first. 'She is nice to look at though, isn't she? She has a very natural beauty and the whole punk look was something Draco had been looking for, rare as it seemed to be.'  
"Hello? Draco, are you alright?" Hermione's voice broke through his thoughts bringing him back to the real world. He shook himself, smiled at her and went to the bedroom. She followed him.  
"Hey, where did you get money anyways? It is, of course, real muggle money right?" she asked.  
"Of course it's muggle money! They have the strangest money I've ever seen, though. Look at this! Its paper, isn't that weird? It's like its fake or something! I got it by doing yard work for people. I'm saving up to get us home."  
"Us?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. Did he mean what she thought he meant?  
"Yes, you and me. We are going home I need to join that fight against my father. I've wanted to for a long time now. Now that it's out in the open that I'm a muggle-born lover like Dumbledore, he's bound to come looking for me, so why not lead the fight to him?" He seemed perfectly calm about fighting his father, a battle he may not get out of alive. It frightened her slightly.  
"What about the others? How will they get back home?"  
"Hermione, I can only do so much. Would you rather return soon, or wait until next year?" Draco gave her his vacant stare, the one he used to let children know they were wrong in a question of common sense. Hermione looked at her feet.  
"Oh, alright, but I'm telling Ginny to save money too."  
  
A/N well, disappointed? Love it? Hate it? Let me know... please review!! I will update soon, I promise. I'm going on vacation for a week soon!! 


	6. Chapter 6

Hooray! People reviewing so quickly! I'm glad people look forward to reading my nonsense; it makes me so happy and willing to update! Thank you and, as always, review at the end! Warning, there are some childhood spoilers in here! Lol  
  
Disclaimer: The usual, I own nothing in this story. J.K. Rowling owns the characters. The town is based on a real town. I just like playing around!!  
  
Hermione finished talking with Ginny on the phone and turned to Draco with a smile. "She said that they are doing the same thing. They have some money saved up, but they need more than us, they're stuck out in Ohio. She's also been in contact with Harry and Ron. They're out in Montana and are working really hard to get enough money."  
  
Draco looked up at her, the one girl who knew how to change him forever. He saw how happy she was to hear from her friends and learn that her precious Potter and Weasley were safe. It was a happiness he had never succeeded in bringing her and it only upset him to see it brought by others. "What makes you think I care what's going on with them? I would have preferred to leave Potty here in America."  
  
Hermione's smile vanished replaced by a threatening look. "Don't be stupid, Malfoy. You know that Harry is needed in order to fulfill the Prophecy. Without him, there's no way we can defeat Voldemort."  
  
She glanced up at him; realizing way too late she had slipped about the prophecy. Draco merely smiled and nodded his head.  
  
" Relax, Hermione. I know all about that stupid thing. My father is Voldemorts leading man after all. He told me everything, before I saved you of course. Now, he wouldn't tell me the day of the week." He looked down at his hands with a strange expression on his face.  
  
Hermione shrugged and picked up the book and began to read again. Draco looked at her through narrowed eyes. Then he said, "Where did you get that anyway?"  
  
"Oh, this book? I got it from a friend?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Just a friend I met up at the tennis courts that's all."  
  
Draco gave her a sideways glance. "We need to talk to this friend of yours."  
  
"No, I don't want to bug her! She doesn't know that our world is real and I think we should keep it that way. She already began to get suspicious." Hermione gave him an angry glare again. What did it matter? So this woman knew their world. The muggles she told only considered it a story, just another fairy tale.  
  
"Hermione, we have to. What is this woman is planning to expose us and is only preparing the world for it?"  
  
"I don't think so. Besides, you know half of them wouldn't believe her anyways. They'd lock her up and tell her she's crazy. You know that things like this are taught to the children as fake from day 1. What I don't get is they tell them about other things, I think are more absurd than witches and wizards. A lady who comes in the middle of the night to take teeth and a bunny that delivers eggs? I think that's quite amusing." She smiled to herself, remembering.  
  
Draco stared at her like she was crazy. Then he shook his head and said, "Hermione, please just do this for me and stop drifting off to la-la land with Bunnies and tooth women."  
  
Hermione shot him her death stare. Then, she got up and grabbed Alex's book on her way to the door. "I'm getting to the bottom of this. You don't have to come, but if you insist I want you to keep your mouth shut. I will do the talking, understood?"  
  
He nodded and followed her out the door. 'Women! What is her problem anyway?!' he thought to himself. They walked up the steep hill and down to the tennis courts. If Alex wasn't there, Hermione would simply have to go to her house.  
  
Alex was there, however. She was sitting on the bench next to her friend. She had another book and, much to Hermione's relief, it wasn't Harry Potter. Her friend was watching the courts again with a small frown. No one was playing at the moment and Hermione had a feeling she was disappointed that the boy had not shown up.  
  
"Hey Hermione, how are you doing?" Alex asked as Hermione sat down next to her. Draco stood a few feet away, looking uncomfortable at being stuck with three girls. Alex motioned with her head at the girl sitting next to her. "This is Rosie by the way. She got mad at me for not telling you before."  
  
Hermione nodded at Rosie. "Hello Rosie, nice to meet you. I'm fine Alex, but we need to talk."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About this book." Draco said sharply coming forward while holding the book out to her. He looked slightly agitated at the small talk. 'Let's not beat around the bush' he thought to himself. 'We need to get this over with... now.'  
  
"Uh, who are you?" Alex asked giving him a strange look. She was getting suspicious again.  
  
"I'm Draco Malfoy. Who are you?" He replied. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione smack her forehead in frustration.  
  
There was a silence as Rosie and Alex exchanged looks. Then, they burst into uncontrollable laughter. Alex bent over clutching her stomach while Rosie leaned against her laughing helplessly into her back. Hermione looked embarrassed and shot Draco a look that was unreadable. Draco's face flushed, he didn't appreciate being laughed at.  
  
"What's so funny? I asked you a question!"  
  
"Ok, Draco. Sorry about that. I'm Alex Brookes." She turned to Hermione, her face red and her eyes watery. "You're name really is Hermione, right?"  
  
Hermione cut in smoothly before Draco could open his big mouth. "Yes, I'm Hermione. Now, please Alex, we really need to talk about your book. It's important."  
  
"Oh, alright, we'll talk, but not until after I'm done hanging out with Rosie. It's rude to leave in the middle of something."  
  
"Oh, no you go on ahead Alex. Trust me I'll be fine here by myself." Rosie's eyes sparkled. She was looking at a car that just pulled up. The boy with the sweatband was getting out, staring at them as he did. He helped his friend grab their tennis stuff but continued to watch the small group at the bench.  
  
Alex heaved a sigh and stood up. "Ok, Rosie, I get it. Have fun watching William Christopher Thompson for me, alright?"  
  
Rosie nodded so hard it looked like her head was going to fall off. Alex turned away and started toward the path to the lake. As Hermione looked back, she noticed the sweatband was watching them. Then, his eyes moved to Rosie, and finally, his tennis match.  
  
When they got to Alex's house, she sat on her bed and turned to them. "Ok, spill. Do you like the book? What is it you need to know?"  
  
"The book is very well written and very creative. We need to know about this woman- J.K. Rowling. Who is she?" Hermione asked tactfully.  
  
"Well, she's the author obviously. She started writing Harry on napkins outside some Café or something. Before Harry, she was a struggling mother of a little girl. Now she has a son too, and they are doing much better. Oh, and she's from Britain of course."  
  
Hermione sighed. This wasn't the answer she was hoping for. Then again, what was she hoping for, Alex to say something about the woman being a witch? She tried another way. "Do you think that, she believes Harry exists?"  
  
It was Alex's turn to sigh. "I honestly couldn't tell you, Hermione. I'm sorry; I can't speak for J.K. Rowling. You'd have to talk to her and that's like impossible. I seriously doubt she believes in magic and stuff, I mean, most people don't."  
  
"Do you?" Draco demanded from the doorway. His eyes were cold as he gazed at her, knowing she was a muggle and he was in her house. She shot him a look back. It was clear to Hermione that they wouldn't be the best of friends. She met Alex's eyes and she smiled. Alex smiled in return looking more willing to cooperate.  
  
"Yes, I like to believe that there are those lucky few who are capable of flying around on brooms and casting spells. It adds a touch of fun to my life some how... just thinking about it you know?" She looked embarrassed, as if it was crazy to believe such things. Then again, to most muggles, it was.  
  
Hermione smiled and wondered how much they would have to tell her to get her full help. 'Hopefully not much at all.' She thought. Then, to Alex, she said, "You're not crazy to think such things. It is a wonderful vision. A very possible vision too. Alex, we need your help."  
  
"I know that. That's why we came to my house remember?" she replied with a small smile.  
  
"Yes, but this is serious. We desperately need you to help us. However, you must promise not to share any information we discuss. Do not share it with anyone, if you agree to help us. Understand?" Hermione said carefully.  
  
Alex's face dropped slightly. A truth dawned on her as she looked from Draco, who was now closing her door, to Hermione, sitting next to her with eyes full of hope and pleading. "There really is a Hogwarts, isn't there?"  
  
"Nice going, Hermione!" said Draco storming forward pulling out his wand as he did.  
  
"Draco, no! We need her help! I trust her and I ask you to do the same. Who else can we trust to help us? Filch's mother and her crazy cat Norma? I'll bet she's just as much of a squib as her son!" Hermione replied, standing to face him.  
  
"I won't tell a soul, I promise." Alex said in a voice barely above a whisper.  
  
Draco looked back and forth from one girl to the other. His eyes landed on Hermione's, wide and panicked looking. He felt his anger slide. 'It's a good thing I care about you Hermione...' he thought to himself. Then, to Alex he said, "Alright but if I hear anything about you blabbing, you can be sure your memory will be wiped!"  
  
"Deal." Alex said simply. Then she turned to Hermione and said, "So, is the book accurate?"  
  
Hermione sighed and pulled the book from Draco's hands. After a minute of waiting to hear a protest he did not give, she continued. "Yes, the book is very accurate as I'm sure the others are too. That's why we wanted to know about the author."  
  
"Well, maybe she knows a witch or wizard or something, one with a loose tongue." Alex suggested. Hermione could tell right away that she was their best bet for help. She wanted to help so much and she knew stuff they didn't. She smiled at Alex and then up at Draco, who looked away with a strange look on his face.  
  
"You still don't trust Alex, do you?" she asked him with a small frown.  
  
"No, if you must know I don't! She's a muggle for crying out loud! You know how I am with muggles!" He was practically screaming. His eyes were wide as if the world had gone mad.  
  
"You don't like muggles. You didn't know them. If you did have the misfortune of meeting one, you'd probably treat it the same way as you treat...Hermione." Alex piped up from her place on the bed. She was looking up at him with a serious look, all her amusement gone. It resurfaced when she added. "That is, the way you used to treat Hermione."  
  
"I don't like Hermione!"  
  
"I never said you did. You're putting words in my mouth."  
  
"You were hinting at it, admit it!"  
  
"I merely said you seem a lot nicer to her now then in the books... or are the books not as accurate as you said?"  
  
"They're completely accurate, which is why we are all here. We're not here to discuss Malfoy's love life!" Hermione cut in, yelling to be heard over the two. This was not what she had hoped for at all. But Malfoy had either not heard or chose to ignore her.  
  
"I would never consider liking that frizz-ball mudblood Granger!" Instantly, he regretted it.  
  
Hermione stopped trying to end the fight. She turned to him, with watery eyes and a red face. She jumped to her feet and stormed toward him her curls blowing back behind her. "Excuse me?! Who said I'd ever be interested in you in the first place, Ferret Face? I hate you, down to every last hair on your slimy head! You disgust me!"  
  
"Hermione, I didn't mean that, honest. Not the way it came out..."  
  
"Yes you did and you know it! You're a disgusting, little creep with a big ego! You suffer from severe mugglephobia and you make everyone around you miserable!"  
  
Now Draco was getting mad. "Look, just because I don't appeal to either of you doesn't mean everyone in the world hates me! I am like by several girls up at the school, they love me and adore me. They do whatever I ask and you think losing the two of you is going to upset me?"  
  
"I COULD CARE LESS!!!" Hermione screamed. Before she thought about it, she smacked him straight across the face, just like old times. Alex jumped as the sound reached her ears. She watched Draco turn away without saying another word and leave the house. Hermione stood watching the door long after he left her eyes still watery.  
  
"I didn't mean to." Alex said quietly. She looked down at her hands and let a small tear fall down her cheek. An arm came around her shoulders.  
  
"It's alright. We needed to get that thing settled. We were beginning to uh, misunderstand our thoughts for each other. To him I'm mudblood and to me he's ferret face. You did nothing, it was bound to happen." Hermione said in her most comforting voice.  
  
"You want to stay here tonight?" Alex asked. Then, she smiled a little. "No Draco to argue with and your guaranteed a peaceful nights sleep. I sleep wicked late in the mornings."  
  
Hermione smiled and nodded, thinking about how great it was to have a friend again. After calling Rosie and chatting online to her and after bugging William, they finally went to sleep. Hermione listened to Alex, who talked a lot after the lights went out, as she ranted on and on about this kid she knew from school, Brian.  
  
"His nose sticks up in the air, Hermione, you would not believe it!! His hair hangs in his face and it is so dark colored..."  
  
"You like him, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah, I do. He's just... different you know? Still, he doesn't like me..." she trailed off into silence and eventually fell asleep. Hermione remained awake to think about Draco for five minutes, and then joined Alex in slumber.  
  
A/N Well, how was it? Let me know people and encourage me to write on! I have to give thanks and a little credit to my friend, Bree, who helped me with some ideas and Preppy Williams name. (The name says all) Thank you Bree!!! The new material will work and I guess more Rosie couldn't hurt...lol. Bye friends! Until next time!!!! Sorry no indents in the paragraphs!!!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N Well here I am again people! Come to haunt your dreams and nightmares. Just kidding. Anyways Bree cleverly noticed I seem to use the word vacant a lot. For her sake I will avoid using it. She also helped me notice that the sweatband was staring at us. So sorry! I'm leaving it though for laughing purposes. Thank you so much for reviewing everyone. I hoped you liked the last chapter (even with the staring sweatband!) Now on with the annoying Disclaimer and the story!!!!!!!!!!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing! Tear well, I do own something. I own my room, and my stuff and oops! You don't want to hear all that. J.K. Rowling owns everything except my friend the town and me.

Draco was walking down the street, alone. He didn't even know where his feet were taking him; he just walked with his head spinning in thoughts. 'What did she know anyways? He'd tried to be nice to her this whole time. That muggle was just the last straw! Why did Hermione have to ruin a perfect developing bond between them by dragging a muggle in?'

Then he remembered. He had dragged the muggle in. He had wanted to get to the bottom of the problem and had demanded to see her. It wasn't Hermione's fault, it was his. That made him feel worse than before. He whispered under his breath. "Poor Hermione, I'm so sorry."

He looked up and found himself at the tennis courts. Rosie was still there watching William. Without a word he moved towards her. If anyone would know what a girl thinks and how to apologize to one, it would be another girl. Rosie smiled hesitantly as he approached. William looked on with interest, not even noticing when the ball hit his head and his challenger let out an anger filled string of words.

"Rosie, I need your help." Draco said shyly, looking down at his feet.

"Trouble with Hermione? You guys didn't seem to be in a very stable relationship when I last saw you." She said at once. Her eyes had drifted back to William, who was now arguing with the other boy in the fence. She was laughing at them silently.

"Hermione and I aren't dating, but yes there is trouble. We, er, sort of got into a fight. I want to apologize, but uh I don't know, uh, how." He said hopelessly and quietly.

"Dating or not, you should do something special for her. Something romantic that she'll really like. Maybe dinner by candlelight or surprise her with roses!" Rosie said with a dreamy look in her eye.

"For crying out loud, I don't want to propose or something! I just want to apologize to her! I want her to forgive me."

Rosie's eyes flashed. "Look, I was just trying to help. Sorry, if you don't want me to! Just remember, you're the one who asked!" She stood up and walked away. Then turned sharply and said, "Oh, and for what it's worth, I don't think you look like the Draco from the books anyways!"

The tennis players had finished their argument and William was left standing alone as his challenger left the courts. He watched Rosie leave, and then turned to Draco. "Hey you, do you play?"

Draco looked from the muggle boy to the bright green ball he was holding. Finally, he stood up and walked into the playing area. "I used to play all the time back home. I'm very good, so yeah, I'll challenge you."

"Alright, my English friend. What's your name?" he asked handing Draco a racket and flashing him a small smile. His voice was kind but had a slight smart tone to it. He ran a hand through his hair and Draco couldn't help wondering 'what does this guy do, wash it with hand lotion?' (A/N lol. Little inside joke there people. Sorry!) Still, he seemed like an ok kind of guy.

"I'm Draco, from great Britain. Who are you?"

"The name's William, but just call me Billy, everyone else does." He looked over at the now empty bench as he spoke and said, "Girl trouble, huh? I know what that's like. So what's your problem?"

"I uh kind of got into a fight with her. Now she's all mad because I said something I didn't mean and she thought I meant it. I don't know what to do. I mean, I'll admit to you, I like her and all, but, it would never work you know? She doesn't like me either. No matter what I do, she doesn't return my feelings." Draco said all in a rush while Billy tied his shoe. For some reason, talking to Billy wasn't bad. He could open up more and he felt he could trust him.

"Here's what I think you should do. You got to let her know how you feel. She probably isn't going to, it's just not the way they are sometimes. You got to impress her and stuff, get to know her, hope she notices you. If you don't you'll regret it." He looked to the road where Rosie had left. His face fell and his eyes took on a distant look.

"You like Rosie, don't you?" Draco accused.

"More than you'll ever know. I can't help it, you know. She's just so interesting. Uh, not to be rude or anything but, we should get on with the game. Sorry, I don't mean to sound obstinate, but it's getting dark you see, so we should try to fit this in quickly."

Draco agreed and took his place at the other end. His head was filled with thoughts of Hermione, Billy's full of Rosie. Together, with their heads in the clouds, they played the worst game of tennis ever.

The phone beside Alex's bed rang. Noisily, Alex turned on her side and picked it up, stretching as she did. With a big yawn she wiped her eyes and said into the receiver, "Hello?"

Hermione stirred from her blanket pile, softer than the bed itself, on the floor. She watched Alex slowly put the receiver down and turn on speaker phone. Stifling another yawn, she said, "Ok, we're listening."

Rosie's voice filled Hermione's ears. "You guys will not believe who came up to me asking about Hermione!"

"Billy?" Alex said with a small smile at Hermione who instantly knew she was kidding and messing with Rosie.

"No! Of course not, the guy doesn't even like me! He likes you remember? He doesn't even know I exist except for that time I fell in front of-"

"Ok, ok, Rosie! Now what about the person asking about Hermione? Who was it?" Alex asked cutting her off mid-story.

"Oh, I can't tell you over the phone! You guys should sleep over my house. Then we can talk about it!" Rosie sounded excited. Maybe it was really good gossip or something. The whole thing confused Hermione.

Alex looked at the glowing numbers on her clock beside her bed. "Rosie, it is 12:30 in the morning. Can't you just tell us and we have a sleep over some other time?"

"Oh, please you guys. I can't sleep. My parents said it was ok just this once after I explained the importance. Pretty please?" Rosie begged.

"Alright, alright, we'll be right over. Just give us a moment to wake up some." She hung up the phone and turned to Hermione. "You're in for a rough night. Slumber parties mean no sleep and lots of boy talk."

Half an hour later, they were walking towards Rosie's house when they met a shadowy figure on the sidewalk. As they drew closer they realized it was Billy. Alex forgot all traces of good manners and asked him outright, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just going for a walk. I don't mean to sound rude, but, I'm quite busy now. I'm on a very tight schedule. I'm ending this conversation now."

"Alright, good for you. You do that." Alex said vaguely. After he was out of earshot and they were walking up Rosie's driveway, Hermione heard her mutter a single word under her breath. "Prep."

When Rosie answered the door, she found a snickering Hermione and an irritated Alex. "What's going on?"

"We ran into your lover boy on the way over. He was 'quite busy' taking a walk at 1 in the morning. I think he's stalking you Rosie, you got to put him straight."

Rosie giggled in girly-in-love sort of way. "Well come up stairs. We have lots to talk about."

After Rosie told them about Malfoy's trip to the courts, and after they decided that Hermione should forgive him with the excuse that ferrets can't help themselves, Rosie turned to Alex. "I have news for you too, you know."

"Oh, joyous. I can't wait, see, I'm jumping out of my seat." Alex said in a flat tone. She was of course not moving at all.

"You will be excited once you hear what I've got to say. Guess who stopped by my house and asked about you? You'll never guess so I'll tell you! It was Jamie! Remember, he saw us outside the YMCA the other day?"

Alex immediately smiled. "Oh, are you serious? He was asking about me? What did he say?"

"He asked for your name, but I think he was seriously hoping to show off those muscles for you again! He came by shirtless, again! He is so cute and he seriously must have something for you, why else would he ask?"

Hermione watched as Alex rolled her eyes. "You think every guy in the world has 'something' for me. Anyways, back on more serious topics." She turned to Hermione sitting next to her. "We're going to help you and your hopeless romantic get home ok? Don't worry about it; I have friends in all the right places that'll help you out."

Hermione smiled, her eyes filled with hope. "Alex you're the greatest!"

"I am, aren't I? Well, now for everyone pleasure, I have a little surprise for you. I'm going to sing a song."

"Are you really? Alex, that's so great! You have to hear her voice Hermione, it's amazing!" Rosie said in an excited voice. "Just try to keep the sound down ok? I don't want anyone getting too ticked with me from downstairs."

"Ok, Hermione, you and Draco were actually my inspiration. I wrote it while reading the books so don't laugh ok? I'm not good at making lyrics up."

She sang Hermione the prettiest song she had ever heard. One that made her want to give Draco a chance. She fell asleep with Alex teaching her some of the lyrics and promising to write it down for her. Her dreams were sweet, all about romance and that one special person she wish would bring her all those happy memorable things. And soon, soon she would be going home, to fight the fight for witches and wizards everywhere. Voldemort, who had yet to be heard in America, was still at Hogwarts, she was sure of it. And as for Dumbledore, she didn't know what to think of him! He seemed crazier than ever!

All these thoughts carried her off into sleep. Good or bad, they would have to do.

A/N Well, was it any good? I know there's a lot of blah in this one but trust me, slowly, we are getting towards the good stuff. Or is this stuff any good? Now that I have confused myself beyond all reason, I must say thank you to Bree for proofreading and correcting Billy parts for me. Thank you!!! Lol. Thank everyone for reviewing, it's encouraging. Luv yas!! Oh, and I have included Alex's song. Please don't hate me for poor lyric skills!


	8. Alex's song not a real chapter

Alex's song from the long lost files recording all that happened in the weeks leading up to the Great Wizarding War. This is the original version before edited for muggle safety purposes. Bold marks chorus.

**You and Me**

When I first saw you, the room grew so cold.

You seemed so childish, you weren't very old.

But now I've found the real you, behind the cold eyes.

**when you warmed up, I felt magic**.

**When you cheered up, I felt your charm.**

**The dark lord threatens, with dark magic**.

**But I know I'll come to no harm.**

**In love I'm not alone, don't you see.**

**It's just you and me.**

I learned the truths and saw beyond the dark.

You touch me and I feel a spark.

Don't try to tell me you don't feel it too,

Because in my eyes I see me with you.

**chorus**

The fights begun and now you choose your side.

Stay with me, or will you let it slide.

I don't want to loose you

I can't choose for you.

And now we're down to the bitter end.

Where will you fight my friend?

**chorus**

You take my hand and we begin the walk.

I try to ask but you refuse to talk.

You kiss my hand, I understand.

You whisper and I hear the words I demand.

**chorus**

Your words were...

I love you.

A/N Ok, I know it was bad but please don't kill me for horrible lyrics. It was a quick two second thing! Anyways as always, review people. You don't have to mention the song I know it was bad but, chapter 8 coming up soon. Thank you!!!!


	9. Chapter 8

A/N my friend has put me into the mood to write. Bree thank you for being so impatient with me, you help a lot. And yes your ideas are good. Thank you guys so much for reviewing all of you help me!!! And for those who stuck by me from beginning thank you lots!!!! Ok now on with the thing you're here to read...the disclaimer! Ok, just kidding, here's the disclaimer and story.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything. J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter's world and people. The town belongs to...uh, my town. My characters and I are based on real people. Yes, there is a guy like Billy running around. Duck and Cover!!!

Hermione walked into the apartment and felt her jaw drop. This wasn't her apartment, it couldn't be. There were rose petals under her feet and candles lit the table set for two. Soft music was playing from somewhere. 'I'm in the wrong room.' She thought.

Just as she turned to leave, Draco came running out of the kitchen. His cheeks were red and he was slightly out of breath. "Wait Hermione don't go! Please, I just want to make it up to you. Let me apologize please."

His eyes were pleading with hers, their silver lost in her chocolate colored brown ones. She felt her heart give way and looked down. Then, she looked up and sighed deeply. "Alright, but only because it looks like you worked really hard on all of this."

"Rosie's ideas, I called her yesterday after seeing her at the tennis courts." Draco looked down and blushed as he spoke. He looked rather uncomfortable so Hermione stepped past him to the table. He watched her and said in a very flustered tone. "Oh, uh you sit here and I will uh, go get the food and stuff and be right back."

He ran into the kitchen. Minutes later a pleasant smell wafted in to Hermione sitting at the table. She turned and saw Draco carrying out a platter piled high with delicious foods. There was chicken, turkey, pies, and many more of her favorites from Hogwarts. "Oh, Draco, did you cook all this?"

Draco blushed and sat down. Together they ate and talked about memories, pleasant or not, and future plans. Draco was awful quiet and Hermione frowned at this. "Draco, what's wrong? Usually you talk more than this, you seem really quiet."

Draco looked at her, wondering how to tell her. He had realized something while sitting across from her that night. He had sat in silence observing her carefully, as if he thought he was never going to see her again. He watched her eyes light up as she laughed and sparkle in the soft candlelight. He watched her lips curve up naturally and sometimes curved down with what seemed like effort. Her hair hung in graceful curls that swayed as she turned her head to him. One piece had drifted into her eyes. Without a word, he reached up and put it back into place.

She smiled a little, a blush creeping into her cheeks. He had made her feel so strange just by touching her hair. A sharp tingle had gone up her spine, making her shiver. "Draco, what's wrong?"

"Hermione, I have something to tell you but I don't know how to say-"

BANG!

He was interrupted as the door was flung open and batty old Mrs. Filch stormed in, Nora on her heels. She turned her buggy eyes on the two teenagers and all the color left her face. "Oh, my dears, you must leave now! Do you have anywhere to go? Come on, no time to just sit there, you're in danger!"

Hermione went pale and said in a shaky voice, "Why, what's wrong? What's going on?"

"No time, no time! All I can say is there are people after you. The death eaters have learned of your whereabouts and they're on their way right now. We have to move quickly! Where will you go?"

"I know where. We'll go to my friends' house."

Draco turned to her. "Alex? Hermione are you sure? I mean, what if we get her in trouble? We could seriously endanger her here."

"Glad to see you care." Hermione said quickly. "I've already gone through this with her. She told me to go to her house if something's wrong."

"Ok, ok, I shall go with the two of you to make sure you arrive safely. Now come on! Quickly now!"

They ran out the door and into the dark night. The moon was gone behind a curtain of clouds. Their only light came from the streetlights overhead. They took off running towards the tennis courts and down around the lake. Finally after exiting the cemetery, they were there and out of breath. Hermione knocked and the door was answered by Alex's mom.

"Is Alex home Mrs. Brookes?"

"I'm afraid she isn't Hermione. She's down at Rosie's being mad at me for who knows what reason. Should I call her?" She sounded worried as she glanced from face to face, her eyes landing on Mrs. Filch clutching Nora who was eating tuna from inside her coat pocket.

"Please call her Mrs. Brookes, we need to see her." Hermione said breathlessly. The woman disappeared, throwing nervous glances over her shoulder. Minutes later, she returned.

"She says to go to Rosie's house, she's expecting you." She said her eyes once again lingering on Mrs. Filch and their dirty sweat-stained faces. Hermione was sure all three of them had wild looking eyes, full of fear and shadows.

They turned from the house without another word and started to run. Draco called out loudly from in front and grabbed Hermione close to him, stopping in the road. "This is so pointless! Hermione, I need you to remember what Rosie's house looks like ok?"

Hermione nodded breathlessly, mumbling as best she could, "What are you going to do?"

"What we should have done. Now close your eyes and hold that picture." He held on to Mrs. Filch's robe and watched Hermione close her eyes in thought. Then he closed his own and said, "One... Two... Three!"

Wind rushed through their ears causing whistling noises to freeze the tips. Hermione tried opening her eyes but couldn't. She made a small frightened noise no one could hear. But Draco did here, and he pressed her face into his jacket, to protect her. A moment later they were released from the strange wind. Hermione pulled her face out and looked around. Her eyes landed on the house in front of them, Rosie's house.

"Did we just do what I think we did?" Hermione gave Draco a skeptical look. He looked a way and started walking towards the house.

"This is the right one, right, Hermione?" He called over his shoulder.

"Draco, did we just apparate or not?" She asked.

He sighed and looked back. "No, Hermione, we did not. I apparated, you and Mrs. Filch are safe from any problems."

Mrs. Filch piped up, "Oh, not good, not good! You will be in trouble for sure. You're not even supposed to know how yet! How did you know?"

"It helps when your dad is Voldemorts leading right hand man. He believed I should know this so I would be prepared for when the time was right. Well, it was useful knowledge alright."

Rosie opened the door before another word could be spoken. "Come on in you guys. Quickly, before my parents see!" When they got in, Rosie and Alex looked at Mrs. Filch and said in unison, "Who are you?"

"She's Mrs. Filch and this is her cat Norma." Hermione said quickly. She pushed past the group and went upstairs to Rosie's room. Without a word, she sat down at Rosie's new computer and called out, "Rosie, enter your password for me."

Rosie obliged with no more than a questioning look. Hermione scanned her AIM buddy list. There were only a couple names on. "See anyone local, Rosie?"

Rosie shook her head, but Alex said, "Yes, I see one!" she pointed to the name at the top of the list. "That's Billy right there, but he'll just say he's busy or something."

"It's the only shot we got. We have to try." Hermione clicked and began to talk to him. Minutes later she looked up with a smile. "He says bring only what's important with us and he'll let us come down to his place."

"Are you serious? You guys are going to Billy's?" Rosie asked, her jaw hanging open in shock.

"You're coming with us. I told him you were and he's expecting you to come." Hermione answered.

"Ok, but I don't know what's going on and I'm not leaving Maggie behind." Maggie was the little black cat she now held in her arms. With a quick note to her parents on the table, the group set off into the night. Alex walked with Hermione and Draco.

"Ok, spill, what is going on? Why does it seem like we are all in danger?" Alex whispered frantically, as they ran down toward Pinedale.

Hermione looked at her quickly. "We might be."

She watched Alex glance back at Rosie, her face starting to turn ghost white. When she looked back to Hermione, her eyes were wide and careful looking. "Rosie, still doesn't know, Hermione. We can't just keep her running without knowing why. She won't do it."

"Then, there's a good chance we might have to tell her." Hermione said simply, her eyes never straying from the path ahead.

Finally, after running all over downtown, they reached a final stop. Billy's house loomed in front making them all uneasy. None of them had ever come here before.

"Well, I have seen you through. Me and Norma are going to go back and see what can be done. Ta-ta!" Mrs. Filch ran off as Hermione climbed the steps and rang the bell.

A/N yes I am sorry that's the end of chapter 8! Don't be upset, chapter 9 is well underway! The next thing I will include will be Hermione and Billy conversation. It may not be important, but I enjoy Billy due to the fact he is based on a real guy who is too polite for his own good sometimes. - Anyways, the usual people, please review! I don't get too many, it's kind of sad. Bree, thanks again for your help! Ta-ta!


	10. Hermione and Billy on AIM not a real cha...

The following conversation occurred between Hermione Granger and the muggle boy, William Christopher Thompson. The screen names have been removed for the protection of identities. The conversation has been found in the files on Rosie's computer, which was thankfully restored at the end of the war.

**Hermione: **I'm sorry to do this to you, but we need your help. Please hear me out ok? I know you hate it when unknown people contact you.

**Billy:** Who is this?

**Hermione:** My name is Hermione; I am a friend of Rosie and Alex. Please, please you have to help!

**Billy: **What's wrong? Is something happening to Rosie? Is she in trouble?

**Hermione:** Well, she might be, if you don't help us! Please, we need your help!

**Billy: **I don't mean to sound rude or obstinate, but I am very busy and I don't like the Yankees. If this is a joke, it's a very bad one.

**Hermione:** No, it's not a joke! We are being followed! We're in trouble! Please we need someone to help!

**Billy: **....

**Billy:** What can I do?

**Hermione:** You mean it? You'll help us?

**Billy:** As long as I know what I can do, within reason, I may.

**Hermione:** Great! Do you know a place we can stay? Somewhere safe?

**Billy:** ....

**Billy:** You may come here, but only bring a few essential items!

**Hermione:** Oh, thank you so much! Who are the Yankees?

**Billy:** A baseball team from New York.

**Hermione:** why did you mention baseball?

**Billy:** Because of the screen name

**Hermione:** Do you like to watch baseball?

**Billy:** I do.

**Hermione:** What team do you like?

**Billy:** I am from Massachusetts, I like the Red Sox.

**Hermione:** Rosie's from Massachusetts too.

**Billy:** Well, I know that!

**Billy:** But I am buy.

**Billy:** Busy

**Hermione:** Alright then, we will be over right away.

**Billy:** I am ending this conversation now.

**Hermione:** You do that so we can get moving!"

(Billy has signed out)

(Hermione has signed out)

So ends the conversation.


	11. Chapter 9

A/N Yay, on with chapter 9! For those of you confused, the last thing written wasn't a chapter, it was the IM Hermione sent Bill. I think it is quite funny that Billy is the way he is. I hope too many people didn't get confused. I love writing and that's probably my only reason for continuing this, other than I don't want to disappoint people who actually bother to read it. Thank you!! Bree, as always, wonderful suggestions! And now, the story continues.

**Disclaimer: ** People should know by now that I own nothing you read about. Even the characters you never heard of are based on reality! It is a sad story I know, so let's continue with the good one!! -

The door opened and instant later and Bill looked out holding money. Then he saw who it was and his face fell. "Sorry, I thought it was the pizza man. You are here faster than I thought. You may come in."

Hermione led the group inside. Bringing up the back was a very embarrassed Rosie who, as everyone noticed, got an extra smile from Billy. When they were all in with Maggie purring deeply on Billy shoulder, who had offered to hold her, Draco made an announcement.

"Quite the nice place you have here. It's small, very small, but very nice at the same time." He said looking around him. He observed a painting on the wall over a table on which sat a pair of drumsticks.

Billy blushed at the compliment. "How have you been since yesterday?" he mumbled trying to start conversation.

"I've never been better." Draco said with what seemed a forced smile. Of course, no one in the room bought it. After a long silence the doorbell rang.

"That will be the pizza man." Billy said and opened the door. Of course, there stood a guy holding a rather crushed box. He wore a bandana over most of his dark hair and his brown eyes sparkled in the light.

Rosie ran to where Alex was standing with Hermione looking out the window. "Alex, its Chris!" (A/N so many guys seem to make it into my story.)

But Alex wasn't listening. Her mouth had dropped and her eyes grew wide. "Oh no!"

Chris, who had been talking to Billy, stepped inside and poked his head around the corner. His eyes bulged as he saw Alex. He could be heard saying, "She's not with you, is she?"

"No, they are uh, my new friends." Billy said nervously. No one was paying attention.

Hermione turned to Alex, "What? What's wrong, do you see them?"

Alex pointed and turned away from the window. It looked like an ordinary couple taking a walk but everyone knew there was more to it. Alex said, "It's Jamie with his girlfriend."

"Is that all?" Draco asked a frown on his face. "Honestly, you must girls live with your heads in the clouds."

Alex ignored him and walked by Chris and Billy to the other window. If possible, her eyes grew wider than before. Without a word, she ran to the front door, dragged a protesting Chris all the way into the house. Then she shut the door, dead bolted it, and turned to Billy. "Are there any keys to any other locks? Are there any other ways of getting in?"

Billy nodded and ran down the hall. Alex realized she still had Chris's hand and tried to let go, but he refused and squeezed hers, keeping his eyes where Billy had disappeared to. Rosie looked around, panic starting to creep into her eyes. Hermione and Draco just exchanged glances, knowing what was wrong.

Just as Billy returned, the lights flickered and died. Alex sat down in the hall on the floor, Chris, not wanting to let go of her hand sat with her. The rest followed too. Rosie, without really knowing what she was doing, was leaning against Billy playing with his drumsticks. She had a faraway look in her blue eyes as Hermione placed a comforting arm on her shoulder. Thunder clapped overhead.

"What's going on? I've had enough of letting you guys go along with this. Alex obviously knows and I wasn't going to say anything, but now I'm scared." Rosie said.

"Hermione, we have to tell her." Alex said.

"Be quiet!" Chris whispered in her ear. He now had a hand on her shoulder, his face awfully close to hers. She began to feel drowsy.

"We have to tell her now. Rosie, me and Draco are really from Harry Potter's world. It's all true. Now, we have Death Eaters chasing us and we have to get back to England. Somehow, we dragged you into this... all of you." Hermione looked from face to face, tears swelling in her eyes.

"We'll make it through, Hermione, all of us. Everything's going to be ok." Draco said into her cheek as he held her close looking at the window. I loud bang at the door shook the house.

"That's it; we are going out the back and into my car." Chris said quietly. He crawled toward the kitchen, still holding Alex's hand. "Be careful and don't get caught you guys."

Slowly they made their way to the back door. Draco inched it open and peered out. "They are around the front. If we're fast and I use my wand if needed, we'll make it. Come on!"

They ran as fast as possible. Behind them, angry shouts could be heard as they were spotted. A jet of red light flew past, narrowly missing Billy. Rosie cried as he stumbled in shock. Alex ran back to make sure they were alright and helped them across to the car. Another red beam nearly missed her cheek by an inch or so.

They were off, down the street. The car took sharp turns and ran stop lights. It was so late, no one was really outside. Alex called into Chris's ear. "Do you know where we are going?"

He shook his head; his bandana came loose and fell off. "No, I really don't. Hopefully, we're getting away from them, though, right? Usually I would prefer a dragon story to this!"

"Oh yeah, real good." Rosie said sarcastically. "You'd rather a have a huge fire breathing lizard flying over head, breathing down our necks?"

"Actually, I'd rather have none of this happening at all. Now that it is, it's quite the adrenaline rush." He smiled as Alex, who had fixed his bandana for him. He liked her, you could tell, and she was totally oblivious to his feelings.

"Let's go to the airport!" Hermione screamed from the backseat. It was quickly agreed upon and Alex was given a cell phone to make the necessary calls.

When she hung up, she had a smile on her face, "Change of plans. We are going to go to the local airport a town over. You know the place?"

"You bet I do. Hey, due to the fact I've been in it this far, do you think I could be included on this little trip with you?"

"Of course, what you think we are going to leave you behind for them to find?" Alex gave him a funny look and turned to Hermione and Draco. "Where are we flying to exactly you too?"

Draco looked confused and began to think. Hermione merely rolled her eyes at him and said, "London, of course. It's easy to get lost there so they won't be able to find us."

"London it is!" Alex smiled a little uneasily. She looked at Rosie and Billy who were sitting in silence. Rosie's head rested on his shoulder and his was on top of hers. "We'll be ok you guys. Don't worry, Hermione and Draco have their use of magic if I am correct. We're protected."

They got to the airport and ran to the plane that was waiting. They could here the rush of brooms overhead but continued to run. As soon as they were all in safely, the door was shut and they took off.

Most of the group fell asleep almost instantly. After all, it had been a long night. Alex remained up drawing in the sketchpad she never left at home. Rosie sat in silence, watching her for a moment. Finally she whispered, startling Alex out of her daydreams.

"Alex, you believe them? You've been in this for who knows how long, believing this stuff?"

"I thought you were asleep."

"I can't sleep. We are on a plane with crazy people heading to England! My parents don't know where we are, they are going to be worried and yours are too. We have more crazy people chasing us, and Chris... well; Chris pretty much has now lost his job."

Alex looked at Chris sleeping on the seat across from her. Immediately, she felt guilt tug at her heart. She had dragged him into this with her, and he had gone along with it without question.

"He really cares about you, you know." Rosie said. "I want to know why you dragged us along with these crazy people. Where'd your head go?"

"Rosie, they are not crazy! You saw those people and their magic. They are real! You know they are, just please stick with me through this ok?"

Hermione had silently been listening on through the whole thing. She now sat up and looked at them. "I'm so sorry you are stuck in this, but please, listen to Alex. It's all true, but must not tell anyone or Draco here will have your memories." She indicated the snoring heap beside her.

Rosie looked from Alex to Hermione and down to Bill, who was competing against Draco for snoring skills (A/N Bree is going to hate me for this -) making her smile slightly. Then she looked up and said, "Alright, but only because it's starting to seem worth it. I won't tell a soul."

All three girls hugged quickly and continued what they were doing, Alex drawing and Hermione and Rosie trying to sleep.

A/N Well, another chapter down. My word, I am working!! That's a good thing though right? Anyways, hope you liked it and, as always review. Bree, thanks for insisting on bringing Chris into this, maybe he'll help the story more than I thought. Bye friends!


	12. Chapter 10

A/N Ah, chapter ten... we have reached the double digits and the stories still slugging along. Hopefully it gets more interesting. As usual, thank you so much those of you who review. For those of you who don't I beg of you at least once, please_ please_ review my story. I would appreciate it, thanks. Bree as usual, cleverly noted the cat disappeared. It did not my friends, for Billy took excellent care of her. Now, on with the story!

**Disclaimer:** Don't people tire of hearing this? I think we all know by now, I own nothing you are reading about. Everyone else in the world, of course does, including the wonderful author of the Harry Potter books herself, J.K. Rowling, although I wish my favorite character didn't have to die, but enough about that! On with the story!!

London was indeed easy to get lost in. The group fought their way against the swarms of people heading the opposite way. Everywhere you looked there was a tour bus making rounds, showing off the proud London sights. At one point the group got separated and met up near Alex who had attracted quite a crowd.

"You guys don't talk, you don't move, and I seriously find it offensive that you stare at me while I walk by." She was saying to one of the guards wearing a huge fuzzy black hat. He remained motionless as she pointed at him with one of her French fries she had gotten from a stand nearby. Her cheeks were tinged bright red with anger.

"Uh, Alex, I think we'd best be on our way. You can chat with the nice guard later ok? Right now, we really have to find a hotel. You don't happen to know where one is, do you sir?" Chris had stepped forward and grabbed Alex by the arm. He was now looking at the guard with a small frown on his pale face. "Guess not. Sorry to trouble you sir."

Alex made a face at the guard behind Chris's back then followed him to the now laughing group. Draco was leaning against Billy for support, which, in turn, was leaning against a light post. Rosie giggled nervously, but Hermione looked disapproving.

"What a way to go unnoticed, Alex. They'll find us for sure if you keep that up!"

"I don't like it when people stare at me and he was glaring, like I did something wrong!"

"That's there job Alex! We're in London now, things are different. Just stick with me and Draco and we should be fine." Hermione said with an exaggerated sigh.

"Fine, I am sorry. Just no more guards ok?"

Hermione laughed and nodded. Then they continued their walk in search of a hotel. Before long, Hermione was knocked onto her butt by a passing man. Papers flew as the man felly over her.

Rosie bent to help her up while Alex scowled at the man. As he bent picking up all the flying papers, she said, "Hey! Watch where you're going! You didn't even apologize what's wrong with you?

"I'm awfully sorry but you see I'm kind of in a hurry. My employer was expecting all this to be returned to her and now I have mixed it all! I will be in so much trouble, so you see, I'm rather frightened."

Alex mood was softened by his English accented tone. He really sounded scared. She helped him pick up the papers, her eyes briefly skimming over the words witch and wizard and Harry on the pages. Her eyes grew wide and she said, "Who is your employer?"

"I don't think she would like me to say, uh..." His cell phone rang. He answered it trying to grab up papers with one hand. Alex continued to help him as her friends called for her to hurry up. He spoke in a shaky voice to the person on the other end of the line. "Yes ma'am, I was on my way over but you see I had a little accident. Yes, I know, you need it quickly, but I've only got some girl helping me pick it up. No, she doesn't know it's yours. What? You want to speak to her? Are you sure ma'am? Alright, here girl and be polite."

Alex curiously took the cell phone and murmured a soft hello to the woman. A soft and gentle voice filled her ear.

"Hello my dear, thank you so much for helping Mr. Snuffles pick up the papers. I must ask, have you read anything on them?"

"Mr. Snuffles?" She looked at the man and saw him roll his eyes.

"Well no, actually his name is Mr. Jenkins, but he has a rather bad cold at the moment."

"Oh ok. Um, no ma'am, I did not read anything off the papers. My friends are in a rush because we are searching for a place to stay. I insisted on helping your employee pick up the papers."

"Oh, my dear, you don't know how happy this makes me. You say you have no place to stay? Oh dear, we can't have that. Have Mr. Snuffles take you to the nice little Hotel near the Café, he'll know the one. Put him back on so I may tell him. A pleasure talking dear, perhaps we will talk later. Bye now."

Mr. Snuffles or Mr. Jenkins as his real name was, talked for a few more minutes then hung up. By then the papers were gathered. He stood up and smiled nervously at the group. "Well, we had best be off then. My employee has instructed me to check you into the Café Hotel."

"Uh sir, we don't have the money for that." Rosie piped up. She also held up Maggie who had been curled up in her clothes in the bag that dangled against her waist. "Plus, I don't think Hotels allow cats and I am not leaving Maggie behind."

Mr. Snuffles/ Jenkins waved his hand impatiently. "No, no. All that stuff has been arranged by my employer. She really has a kind heart you know. You guys have nothing to worry about. Now come along and quickly if you don't mind."

Hermione and Draco followed closely behind him, asking him questions so they could trust him. The other four, five if you include Maggie, made up the back, enjoying the sights they had never seen before.

Finally, Hermione and Draco decided it was safe to trust him and replaced the others as the back. They were giving space to talk and the others took turns bugging the poor little man about the sights and his employer. He carefully avoided direct answers however.

Draco cleared his throat and said in a voice only she could hear, "Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"I know we haven't talked much these past few days. Between the arguing and the death eaters, we sort of had a hard time speaking huh?" She nodded and he decided to continue. He cleared his throat again and said, "There's something I need to tell you, Hermione and I don't know how to start."

"Start at the beginning." She said with a small smile. He knew she was trying to make him laugh but he had to be serious, or else he knew she wouldn't believe him.

"If only it was that simple. Hermione, I care about you and I don't want anything to happen to you." He said it in a rush and looked away, waiting for her reaction."

She smiled up at him and said, "I care about you too. You've been a great friend through all of this."

Draco looked away and grimaced. Just a friend, that's all he was to her. She didn't get it. He looked around for something else to say. "You know, if you ever need to talk or something, I'm there? Don't ever think you can't talk to me. Things are going to be different for now on."

"Oh, I hope so Draco." She was silent for a moment, and then she said, "I miss Crookshanks."

"Oh, uh, well I'm sure Dumbledore is taking good care of him for you. You know how he is..." Draco trailed off, a confused frown playing on his lips. They had stopped at a crosswalk. A batty old woman had walked up to Mr. Snuffles/Jenkins and began to pat his head. The poor little man stood there stupidly as Alex and Rosie laughed helplessly.

"Such a nice little girl." The woman said and began to walk off. The group continued to laugh... all except for one that is.

Billy stared after the old woman, a look of amazement on his face. "Grandma?"

The old woman ignored him and kept walking. Rosie and Alex struggled to control themselves... it was too funny! The crazy old bat petting the little man and then Billy thinking it was his grandmother... what a day in London!

They finally reached the hotel and settled in two of the biggest, finest rooms they had, the boys in one room, and girls in the other.

"This is so cool!!" Rosie and Alex said together. Alex jumped on the bed while Rosie spun around in the computer chair at the desk. For the first time in a while, they weren't scared. They felt safe and ready to take on whatever came their way.

A/N how do you like it? In the next chapter, I think they may meet the employer or something and there may be romance... who knows? Well, I should know, I'm writing it!!! Well, go easy on me I'm making it up as I go. Bree bit of jokes from or good history class days!!! Hope you enjoy!!! The rest of you, I hope you liked the senselessness too!! Please read and review, it's discouraging when I don't get too many.


	13. Chapter 11

A/N ah here we go, chapter 11. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, all this school stuff and that sort of thing. Sad news is I'm not even back in school yet. I have this major report due! Anyways, I am so glad all you guys reviewed! I saw some new names there and to all of you guys, thank you so much! I enjoy writing for you all though it's tough when you have to use another writer's characters. It feels like you're taking the path of least resistance or something. Anyways, on with the story I made the plot too but cheated and used someone else's people and stuff!!!

**Disclaimer: **I assume by now, that we all know, this isn't mine people! J.K. Rowling and actual people are involved. The only thing I can rightfully claim is most of the plot! Who reads the disclaimer anyways? Ah well, you know the whole deal by now. On with the story!

Hermione stepped out into the semi-dark hallway. Nearly blind from the lack of light, she nearly ran into someone. She smelt that familiar cologne... wait a minute!

"Draco! Is that you?"

"Well, who else would it be Hermione? Merlin's beard, woman, are you blind?" Came the angry reply. That was Draco alright.

"Well, at the moment, yes. For some reason I can't see too well, the light's too dim in here. As for who else you could have been... well, let's just say it could have been anyone."

"What are you talking about? We are the only ones here, Hermione!"

"That's not true! What about Rosie, Alex, Chris, Billy, and all the other Hotel guests?"

"Uh, Hermione... we aren't at the Hotel..." Draco said nervously right next to her ear. She could feel his breath on her neck. He was standing alarmingly close...

"What? Of course we're still at the Hotel! We never left the Hotel! Last thing I remember is getting a message from you saying we had to meet in the hallway..."

"Hermione, listen to me! Look around, does it look like the Hotel?" He sounded slightly bitter now. As if he was trying to teach a slow child.

Hermione did as she was told. Her eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting and now she allowed them to travel around her surroundings. He was right; they weren't in the Hotel anymore. This place didn't even resemble the Hotel... it looked like... nothing.

The walls were bare and seemed limitless. They were a dull color orange-brown. They stretched upward towards an invisible ceiling. Whether or not there was one there, Hermione couldn't tell. It was too far and dark. The floor matched the color of the walls, casting an illusion that it was all one big surface area. She began to feel dizzy.

"Draco, where are we?"

He now stood in front of her, his face inches from her own. He pressed a finger to her lips and said softly, "Shush. Don't worry about that right now. The present question is what side are you on?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You have it. What side are you on in the ultimate war? Are you on the side of darkness with the Dark Lord?" at this, the room seemed to darken slightly and a chill fell on the two teens. "Or are you on the noble side of Dumbledore and his mighty army?"

"Draco, you know the answer to that as well as I do. I would choose Dumbledore over Voldemort any time! I choose the side that fights for what is right!"

Draco's eyes seemed to flicker. They glowed slightly... or was that a trick of the light? His voice became slightly higher than normal, colder and more menacing. "Hermione, think carefully. If I were you, I'd reconsider my choice. After all, what has Dumbledore done for you?"

Hermione shivered. What was wrong with him? She opened her mouth to answer, but paused. Draco seemed to enjoy this very much. Then she found what she wanted to say, "Dumbledore has protected me and accepted me when most others would not. He protected you too, even though your father is who he is and you could be like him for all we know."

Her trust in him was slipping and he knew it. His smile widened. "You have a point there. No one does really know if I shall be like my father now do they? Just imagine Hermione, Dumbledore is not there anymore to protect you and you had made the wrong choice. You would wind up dead and you know it."

"I would wind up dead either way." Hermione said. Tears of fear mixed with confusion formed in her eyes. What was he saying? Had he gone mad? Was he actually admitting what she thought he was?

Draco let out a laugh, a real laugh with his head back, shoulders shaking. His voice was now so cold that even the lights flickered as he released his horrible laugh. It didn't sound like Draco at all. He stepped up to Hermione and stroked her cheek gently. Her skin burned beneath his fingers. "Now Hermione, who could kill off a witch who may be so... useful? With your magic skills and your wisdom... possibly your looks... you might be lucky and have the privilege of helping him. In return, you would be the last muggle-born to die."

"Stop it! I would never help him! He's a slimy little git who doesn't have any real muscles so he uses wand power instead! I will never help such a creature!"

"Then suffer!" His voice now dripped with venom, hatred, and disgust. His eyes had become a shiny glowing red and his nostrils slits. Suddenly, he wasn't Draco anymore. It was the Dark Lord himself. He pointed his wand at Hermione and screamed, "Crucio!"

Immense pain filled every fiber of her body. She fell to the ground, the pain so great she felt she couldn't cry out! Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as the pain became even harder to bear. She shook and jerked trying to release herself, knowing it would not work. She was going to fly into a thousand pieces right now. She would be sent jabbering to St. Mungo's, just like poor Neville's parents.

The high cruel laugh filled her ears again, threatening to burst her eardrums and make her deaf. She reached outward as best she could and felt her hand awkwardly grasp something soft. She tugged, hard. A different sound, a familiar shout filled her head. Something came crashing on top of her, adding to her pain. Finally, she found her voice and screamed...

Alex and Rosie watched as the horrible sight unfurled itself. Hermione fell off the bed where she had been innocently dozing and hit the floor with a loud crash. She twitched and shook as tears leaked down her cheeks. Her face was alarmingly pale, then turning bright red... and pale again.

"She's having a seizure or something!" Rosie cried out. She got up and stepped over Hermione as fast as she could. "I'm getting the boys; they'll know what to do! You better call somewaaaaaaaaah!"

She screamed as Hermione reached out a claw-like, trembling hand and latched onto her pants. Hermione pulled and Rosie was soon sprawled on the ground next to her. Hermione screamed a loud, piercing, never-ending, scream.

Alex bent down and began slapping Hermione's cheeks, hoping that would wake her. She continued screaming, mixing words with her wails. Alex's sentences of "Oh my" were joined by Rosie's screams of "Help!" Rosie's hand accidentally hit Hermione's cheek, harder than any of Alex's slaps. Just as the door opened to the boys adjoining rooms, Hermione's eyes snapped open and he screams immediately ended.

"What's going on?" Draco demanded. His eyes fell on Hermione, lying on the floor. He paled and bent to see her better.

Hermione was staring up at the ceiling, but she didn't seem to see it. Her eyes seemed clouded. She remained still, the only movement coming from her chest as she took in ragged gulps of air. She still cried silently, ignoring everything around her.

"Hermione, what happened? Are you ok?" Draco demanded, kneeling beside her and reaching for her hand.

Her eyes finally moved. They focused on Draco and grew wide with fright. She whimpered softly and through her arms around Rosie, who was still on the floor next to her. "Don't let him hurt me again!"

Chris was holding onto Alex who was having a hard time standing. She was quite shaken and didn't know what was going on. Also, something had happened when she touched Hermione's cheek...

"What is she talking about?" Chris demanded looking scared.

"Maybe we shouldn't interrupt. They seem quite busy right now." Billy said, staring down at Rosie, who was nervously patting Hermione on the head.

"Nonsense Billy! We need to be here to help if necessary. Look at these poor girls..."

Chris said passing his eyes over the three weak girls.

"I know..." Alex said with a small tremble. Chris sat her down on the bed and held her hand while supporting her to keep her upright. "I know... what... I know what happened..."

All eyes focused on the trembling muggle... all except Hermione's due to the fact she was now crying into Rosie's shoulder.

"She was... attacked... in... dream... Draco... not Draco... an unforgivable curse..." She trailed off helplessly. After several more breaths, she seemed slightly stronger. "She saw Draco in her dream. He asked what side she was on. He offered her a position on the Dark Lords side... wasn't really him... was Voldemort... he gave her the Cruciatus curse..."

"How do you know?" asked Rosie with fear in her eyes. "What happened between you two that caused you to know?"

Hermione pushed away from her and looked up at Alex with renewed hope and fear. "When she touched me, we shared a bond, a very rare thing indeed. She saw... my dream. She felt... my pain. She saved my life."

"I did not. I only shred your horrors and pain." Alex said with a small shiver.

"No..." Hermione was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"What's going on in here? I have had complaints of screams and shouts of help. Is everyone ok in there?" A gruff voice said from outside.

"Just a nightmare sir." Hermione called. "Forgive us please. It won't happen again."

"Better not... good night then." Footsteps disappeared down the hall.

Hermione turned back to Alex and whispered. "If you hadn't touched me and shred the pain equally, I would be dead. For that, I owe you my life. Thank you so much. Rosie, I thank you for waking me up. You saved me and Alex, for we both would have died in time if you had not woken me up."

The girls exchanged hugs and then told the boys good night. The boys, getting the hint, returned to their rooms. After they left and Rosie was asleep, Hermione turned to Alex and told her the rest. "We still share a bond, you know. Now, whatever one feels, the other shall. If I were to die, you would too. There's no way to break it. I'm so sorry Alex."

Alex smiled her famous crooked smile. "Don't worry about it. Just gives me all the more reason to make sure you are safe. We'll make it through this together."

With that, they went to bed. Neither could sleep however, because one question haunted both minds. What did this all mean about Draco? Could they trust him or would he betray them?

A/N Well, was it any good? I rather enjoyed it and it's rare for me to like my own story... well, plot that is. I want you all to know (not that it matters) if I could I would have my own original stories on here. I'm never comfortable using other peoples work (one of my reasons for adding all these unknown people -) Anyways, read and review people. You encourage me to go on with this.


	14. Chapter 12

A/N Ok you guys, here's the next chapter just for you. Did you like the last one? I kind of did and that's saying something! Anyways, I'm sorry I don't update as much, I have been busy! Well, here we go!

**Disclaimer: **Ok, once again, I deny owning anything you are reading. J.K. Rowling is a fantastic writer and I could never take her place. The people are based on real living breathing, walking people. Except Mr. Snuffles and the old lady.... They're mine! All mine!!! Well, I'll share them with you guys.

The next day dawned bright and sunny, but no one was in a cheerful mood. Everyone had lost out on sleep and was awakened early by the sound of a very unhappy actress down the hall that had gotten the wrong breakfast order and had therefore upended it on the poor room-service man's head.

Alex groaned and rolled of the bed, landing on the floor with a loud thud. Her whining woke Rosie up, who through a pillow down at the lump at her feet. Maggie had been sleeping on the pillow and jumped onto Rosie's stomach once the pillow moved. Hermione bustled into the bedroom, smiling gently.

"Get up, you two. The guys are waiting and are not too happy. They're hungry and we're holding them up." When neither girl responded Hermione sighed and grabbed a pillow, as quietly as she could. She then ran up to the bed, jumped over Alex and smacked Rosie smartly in the head. "Pillow fight!"

"Oh no you don't!" Alex screamed from the floor and hit Hermione just as Rosie sat up straight, wild eyed with surprise. They continued to scream and laugh and beat each other senseless with the feather pillows. That is, until the boys came running in.

"What's all this noise? It sounds like someone being tortured in here." Chris exclaimed from the doorway. Billy and Draco entered behind him.

"What is this, bloody Christmas?" Draco said in disgust as feathers flew in front of his eyes, obstructing his vision. Through the cloud came one of the girls with a pillow. Draco ducked just in time and Alex hit Chris in the arm.

"Hey!" he said grabbing her around the waist and stealing the pillow. He smacked her with it as a grin spread across his face. Billy just stood there like an idiot, until Rosie came up behind him and hit him in the back. Then he went down on his knees and crawled away in search of another pillow. Rosie pummeled him all the way.

Draco had to yell to be heard. "Stop! Stop this madness right now, I say! Haven't any of you noticed Hermione's not here?"

"She was here a minute ago." Alex offered as Chris helped her pick feathers out of her messy brown hair. "She was the one who started this 'madness' Draco."

Rosie snickered at Alex's imitation of the grumpy blond. He turned towards her with glittering eyes and she fell silent. He silently moved through the clouds of feathers and began to search for Hermione.

Alex grabbed her clothes off the side table, blushing wildly as she suddenly realized she was still in her pajamas. She moved toward the hall. "I'm going to go shower real quick ok?"

When the only complaint came from Rosie saying she wanted to shower first, Alex stuck out her tongue and walked towards the bathroom again. She stopped at the closed door and listened. The shower was running and someone was singing. She knocked. "Hermione, are you in here?"

"I'll be done in a minute." Came the reply from the young witch inside.

Alex sat on the floor outside the bathroom and called to the party in the living/bed room. "You can stop searching now. She's in the bathroom taking a shower."

Chris came out and stood next to her. He stared down at her, sitting there on the ground, frowning slightly. "What's wrong?"

Alex jumped, not realizing he was there. "Oh, nothing, I was just thinking."

"When are you ever not thinking?" Chris asked with a small sigh. Before Alex could ask what he meant by that, the door burst open and Hermione came shooting out. She looked around and met Alex's eyes with her wild brown ones.

"I have to go out for a moment. I, uh, I need to think and stuff ok? Tell Draco I went for a walk. I'll be back soon!" Then before another word could be spoken, she rushed out the front door, her hair still wet.

Alex stood and turned to Chris. "I am going to shower now. Do you think you could tell the others Hermione's message?"

"Yeah, sure... anything." He said softly, looking away from her and beginning to walk towards the others. "See you in a few then."

Alex didn't hear him; she was in the bathroom already.

When everyone was finally done showering and Hermione had returned, though she remained distant and quiet with everyone, they were finally ready to go eat. Draco fell back to walk with Alex, as Hermione had been avoiding him since last night.

"Alex, you and Hermione have become best friends, haven't you?" he asked softly.

"Well, I consider us friends." Alex said staring at him, confused.

"Maybe you know then. She's been avoiding me all day, Alex. I don't know what's wrong or what to do. I'm afraid she must be mad at me." When he caught Alex's small smile, he demanded to know what was so funny.

"Nothing really, it's just... I never expected to hear those type of words leave Draco Malfoy's mouth... talking about Hermione no less!" She looked away, up at Hermione walking beside Rosie quietly. "She had a hard night, you know. That dream was no laughing matter. I think she's staying on her toes. You know, being careful of everything and everyone. I think we have to let her heal and recover on her own."

Draco merely nodded and walked beside her in silence. Chris looked back at them several times, his eyes clouded with confusion. Finally, they reached the big Dining Hall in the Hotel. They were seated immediately in the nearly empty room. It was very late for breakfast.

While everyone else ate, Hermione pushed her eggs around her plate in repetitive motions, as if they were performing a dance. Her eyes seemed glassy and far away. Finally after watching her like this for several minutes, Alex put down her fork and stared at her silently. Seeing Hermione like this made her very upset and she felt that she wasn't hungry and she was upset and in pain... she felt like Hermione.

"Hermione, stop it!" She cried out suddenly. Hermione looked up in shock. The girls had twin pairs of tears sparkling in their eyes. Alex choked out the words that had been on her chest all day, "It hurts Hermione. You know it does and you're doing this to me too. Try to relax a little and do us all a favor, please!"

Hermione was the only one who knew all of what she was saying. She merely looked at Alex, knowing that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't cheer herself up enough to release Alex from the feelings coursing through them both. "Wish I could."

Without a word, Alex stood up and left the table. She crossed the room and passed through the double doors, startling Mr. Jenkins, the man they had met the day before. Without a word, Chris and Rosie stood simultaneously.

"I'll go, you stay here. I'm done eating anyways." Chris said. For a moment, Rosie looked like she was about to protest, then she looked down at her plate and at Billy and sat slowly. Chris left the room and hurried to chase Alex.

The group sat in silence for a moment then, Draco and Billy resumed their chat about tennis. Hermione closed her eyes, concentrating hard on Alex. Slowly, images came to her and she saw what Alex saw. She reached out blindly and touched an arm...Billy's. She put a finger to her lips and he must have saw because he hushed up immediately. Now, she could hear, faintly, what Alex heard.

_Alex sat on the balcony seat overlooking the busy streets of London. A faint breeze muffled her hair and far below, the sounds of cars and people wafted up to her. She heard the door slam and knew someone was in the room with her. Sure enough, a hand touched her shoulder and Chris's voice filled her ears._

"_Hey, you ok? I mean, you have been acting just as weird as Hermione all day, and after that little thing downstairs... I don't know what to think Alex. What's going on?"_

_Alex looked down at her hands in her lap. She hated to lie to Chris, but she couldn't tell anyone about the strange bond. "I hate it when others are upset. I can feel their feelings and I hate it. It's really hard with Hermione because she has so many feelings... and none are good."_

"_Things will turn out right, don't worry."_

"_I hope so."_

_The phone rang._

Hermione opened her eyes, satisfied. Alex hadn't mentioned the bond... good. No one needed to know... yet. Without a word, she stood remembering the telephone ringing. She wanted to know who it was. She turned to the others, "Something tells me we should go back to the room now."

"Good!" Rosie said jumping to her feet. After being bored to death by Billy paying all his attention to Draco and tennis, she was looking for any reason to do something. The two girls walked back, leaving the boys to slowly make their way along, still chatting away. Rosie laughed in the hallway and told Hermione, "They're worse then us girls!"

As they entered the rooms they were using, Alex's voice could be heard as she talked to someone on the phone. "Yes Ma'am, we are enjoying ourselves very much. Thanks again for doing this for us, we had been worried. Oh yes, Ma'am, Hermione is right here. Yes Ma'am."

Without a word but a big smile, Alex passed the phone to Hermione, who took it and nervously pressed it to her ear. "H-hello?"

A familiar voice filled her ear. It was Mr. Jenkins's/Snuffle's employer. "Hello there dear. It's just me checking up on things. Is this Miss Hermione Granger?"

"Yes Ma'am, this is her."

"Charming, absolutely charming to be speaking to you dear. From what I hear everything's alright there and that's grand. Just letting you know you can stay there as long as you like. I am having the hotel put it on my tab. Now, I'm very sorry we couldn't chat longer but I'm very busy, you see. I'm afraid I may not get a chance to call again."

In the background Hermione could hear another phone ringing and someone knocking at the door. She must be on her cell phone. Hermione shook herself and said, "Alright, it was nice talking to you and thanks again for doing this for us, it means a lot."

"Oh no problem dear. Now I have to go. So TTFN and oh, I nearly forgot. I do hope the books are as accurate as humanly possible dear. It's so hard to believe a Malfoy."

Without another word, she hung up and left Hermione standing there with her mouth open slightly as the phone slipped from her grasp.

A/N Oh, I'm sorry to end the chapter, it was just getting good wasn't it. Well, I hope that raps up one of the problems I have presented my self with. I hope you liked it and as always, read and review, please!!!! Love you all very much!!! -


	15. Chapter 13

A/N Another day, another chappie! That last one was boring wasn't it? I thought so... a bit sci fi with that bond thing happening. Ah well, thank you all so much for reading and stuff, though it is upsetting to only receive a few reviews... maybe I just don't give it enough time. Oh well, on with the story!

**Disclaimer:** What do you people want from me? Ok, so I write this out for my own good, but still, you guys don't really think I own all this stuff do you? That would be so cool... but alas, all that is mine is Alex and partial credit of Mr. Snuffles and Hazel (Bill's Gram) Enjoy the story anyways!

Just as Hermione hung up the phone, there was a loud knock at the door. Chris jumped up and answered it after looking in the peephole of course. (Come on you guys, who doesn't look through the peephole when they get a chance? Lol!) In stepped Mr. Jenkins, who seemed to have gotten over his cold. Following him was the old lady they had met on the street. She continued to pet him as though he were a cat.

"I am here to make sure you had answered my employers call." He explained with a strained look of patience as the old lady pinched his cheek. "She said she was calling around now and... confound it woman! Who are you?"

"Hey! I don't mean to sound rude but don't talk to my Grandma Hazel that way! In fact, don't talk to her at all; she's had a rough time in America, what with some crazy girl behind the wheel of a car nearly crashing into her as she pet her cat and all." Billy piped up from the back of the room.

Rosie caught Alex's eye and smiled a little at her red cheeks. It had been Alex behind the wheel and only those two knew it. It hadn't been her fault though... the old lady was standing in the middle of a four-way intersection.

Hazel stepped away from Mr. Jenkins and for the first time, everyone caught a glimpse of her outfit. There was a sharp intake of breath and several gasps. Billy could be heard exclaiming "Grandma!" from across the room.

Draco, who had been reading, now looked up to see what the fuss was all about. Instantly his eyes widened before he slapped his hands over them. "Oh my gosh, I've been bloody blinded! Someone put a decent shirt on her or something. What's wrong with seniors these days? Someone bring her back to the home!"

Hermione slapped him smartly in the head while draping a small blanket over Hazel like a shawl. Hazel smiled at her. Hermione smiled back, relieved that the most revealing

Top she had seen on a senior was covered. Then she turned to Mr. Jenkins and said, "You're employer has called but she didn't say how she knew so much about us."

Mr. Jenkins mopped his head with his handkerchief and "Oh dear, she had worried she wouldn't have enough time. She always forgets something. Is it accurate though?"

"Extremely accurate sir. Now please explain why." Draco demanded peeking from behind his hands. Hermione cast him a glowering look and turned back to Mr. Jenkins.

"I had hoped... I didn't want to be the one to explain this. It's really very simple you see but we didn't know it was so accurate. It's hard to believe word of mouth."

"You mean someone who works for you knows all this stuff and tells you what's going on?" Rosie asked from her seat on the bed with her head resting on Bills shoulder who still looked agitated. Maggie sat in her lap purring. The old lady noticed Maggie and reached out to grab her. Rosie held her out of harms reach and Billy took his Grandma's hands and led her away.

"Come on Grandma, we'll get you a cat soon, I promise." He spoke to her quietly and gently, as if he thought she was mad. Then again... she probably was.

"Oh, that would be lovely. Thank you Barnaby."

"It's Billy, Gram. My name is Billy."

"That's nice Barney."

Billy shrugged in a symbol of defeat. The rest of the group chose to hide their laughter, all except Mr. Jenkins, who seemed rather nervous as Hazel spotted him again. Without another word she wandered over to him and started to pet him again. He sighed in annoyance and turned to Hermione.

"May I leave now?" he asked, sneezing into his handkerchief. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"If you must. I understand you're very, uh, busy."

"Merlin's beard, Hermione! The poor man is being stalked by Billy's gram!" This came from Draco, who was now standing beside her staring with pity at poor Mr. Jenkins.

"Oh, I'm alright, she follows me everywhere. I think she finds it amusing. I'll tell my employer that you are satisfied with your knowledge, correct?"

"Yes sir, we are very satisfied. Thank you so much and we hope you thank her for us." Alex said quietly. She had been sitting in silence near the balcony. Now she stared of into the horizon, smiling slightly. This was such an adventure!

With a sharp nod, Mr. Jenkins left the room, followed by Hazel, who had found his cigarettes in his pocket and currently had one hanging out of the corner of her mouth. Billy looked appalled. He hurried after the pair and could be heard in the hall saying, "Grandma Hazel, uh those aren't good for you! Give it here!"

He returned with the cigarette, which he dunked in Rosie's water before throwing it away. Rosie gave him an expressionless stare, which caused him to presently blush and take the cup out of her hands.

When he returned with a cup of fresh water, she smiled and said, "Good slave, now give me a foot message!"

"Now that's abusing your power, Milady." He said with a smile tugging at his mouth. Without a word, Rosie reached up and grabbed his sweatband. She stood on the bed holding it above her head out of his reach.

"Ha ha, you can't get it." She taunted. He grabbed her around the waste and spun her around. Then while she was dizzy, he put her on her feet and easily took the sweatband.

"Mine." He said simply.

"Wow you guys." Alex said standing up. The two had really opened up to each other in London. Both had been so shy and yet now they were messing around like old friends. With a smile she followed Hermione out to the hallway, where the two girls could talk.

"Alex, I'm really worried."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"It's kind of hard to explain. I just... it's just... every time I'm around Draco these days I get uneasy. I mean, it's like I don't trust him and I try but I just can't! I keep thinking he is going to betray us... or... or even kill me." Hermione looked ashamed and worried at the same time.

"Hermione, he through himself in the path of his father's rage to save you and has looked after you since. He's really worried you know. He told me. He really cares for you, 'Mione." Alex said honestly.

"You're right; I should try to forget that stupid dream."

"No, don't forget it. Maybe it was trying to tell you something. It's a warning and you should listen to it."

After nodding, Hermione returned to the room followed by Alex. As soon as they stepped in, Hermione walked to Draco and put her head on his shoulder. Draco's eyes widened and he looked like he was going to throw her off for a moment. Then, he calmed down a little and realized Hermione was returning to normal. He rested his head on hers and wrapped his arms around her thin form. The perfect image of a young couple.

Just then, the phone rang again. Rosie dove at it, beating Billy by a millisecond. She stuck her tongue out at him before picking it up. "Hello?"

The others watched a small frown form on her lips and she slowly put the receiver down. She turned on speakerphone and said softly, "Listen."

Faintly, they heard the sounds of screams and crying, explosions and an evil cackle. The sounds got louder. Teens of all ages being tortured or frightened filled their ears. A familiar voice from Hogwarts was calling random names from his house. When Hermione heard her own name, she cried out in despair. She screamed into the microphone that allowed hands off talking.

"Neville! Oh you let him go you creep or I'll..." She stopped. The person had hung up and the ring tone was now playing like some haunting memory. Hermione sat down right there on the carpet, head in her hands, crying. Draco however stood up and crossed to stand in front of her.

"What did you do that for? Genius, now they know where we are and everything! It was all a trick to see if we were really here! They are probably on their way right now Hermione and it's your entire fault." He cried angrily.

"Stop yelling at her!" Alex screamed pushing him away from Hermione and glaring ah him, daring him to complain. When he didn't, she knelt down and hugged Hermione tight. Hermione just sat there crying. Rosie got up and came to comfort her as well. Maggie, as is sensing the problem, came up to Hermione and curled up nearby.

"I don't need this. I'm just trying to look out for us!" Draco said, stomping out of the room. When neither boy followed, Rosie raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you going to go talk to him?" She questioned.

"No." they said simultaneously. Hermione let out a weak laugh.

"Even the boys are scared of him!"

After getting the girls settled down to sleep, the boys reluctantly went to their set of rooms. Alex cracked an eye open just in time to see Chris looking back at her before bracing himself to face Draco. She fell asleep with a smile.

_Hermione was walking down a long hallway... yet she wasn't alone. As she heard a voice behind her, she turned and found herself face to face with Alex. She sighed and said, "No Alex, go back. I need to do this on my own."_

"_What is it you need to do?"_

"_I don't know yet, but I know I have to go on alone."_

"_Fine, I'll go back but if you need me, give a yell, got it?" Satisfied with Hermione's nod, she turned and left._

_Hermione sighed and continued on her own. A thin trail of fog swirled around her feet, making them shiver. Why hadn't she worn socks? She shook her head free of all unnecessary thoughts and ignored the growing feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach._

_She stood at the end of the long hall. A big door, at least 10 feet high stood in front of her. Around the border were carved elegant snakes with beady silver eyes. The door itself was a dark brown, almost black. It seemed to be surrounded with its own fog. She touched the knob and grimaced. It felt like ice in her hand. As quickly as she could, she turned it and opened the door._

_Inside, Neville crouched on the floor before a mysterious cloaked figure that could only be Lord Voldemort. His cloths were torn and Hermione could see that he had become thinner. He was crying... still he did not scream or call for help._

"_What's the matter boy?" hissed the Dark Lord. "Snake got your tongue? Fine then, if you will not talk then you shall scream... Crucio!"_

_Neville collapsed on the ground in a wriggling heap of tattered robes. Still, Hermione did not hear a sound. She became amazed at how brave Neville was. Voldemort ended the curse._

"_Now... you will answer the Dark Lord. Tell me... where has that fool, Dumbledore hidden the rest?"_

_Neville opened his mouth to speak. Hermione held her breath, afraid of what she might hear. In a hoarse whisper, he said, "You may ask all you like... but I'd rather die than answer! Expelliarmus!"_

_Voldemort easily blocked Neville's pitiful attempt at bravery. He laughed, the cold sound echoing around the small chamber. "You foolish, stupid, boy! You'll pay for this! Now, bow to me!"_

_A sharp-tongued curse filled the air. Neville came crashing down on his knees in a whimper of pain. Still, he shook his head at Voldemort and glared at him with a look full of hatred and disobedience. Another curse filled the air and Neville flew at the wall. He passed out before he hit the stone floor._

_Hermione ran to Neville's side. She tried to touch his shoulder but her hand passed right through. Of course! This was just a dream... a vision. She faced Voldemort and shouted every angry thought that came to mind, appropriate or not._

_Unfortunately, it seemed Voldemort could see her. Her turned to her and said with a small sneer, "Don't worry, my sweet little Mudblood... I haven't forgotten about you..."_

A/N Hope you liked it. As always, read and review... or I may stop writing. Lol!! Maybe I won't stop, just please PLEASE review!!! Thank you, have a nice day.


	16. Chapter 14

A/N Yahoo! You guys, this is great! Here I am to write the next chappie!!! Aren't you glad? I'm just playing.... But seriously, I'm here. This is me... right here. Ok I'll shut up but first I have to acknowledge Bree (of course). She helps me along when I need suggestions and she's like, my proof reader. Anyways, thank you guys for reviewing, it means a lot. Those of you who don't... shame on you! I'm just kidding, I love you guys. If I didn't I wouldn't be sitting here sharing my story.

**Disclaimer: **Blah blah blah... I don't own anything in this story. Not a single, cotton picking thing. So sad... the story of my life. Anyways, all credit goes to the real live living breathing cast of extras and J.K. Rowling for the make up of this story.

Alex had been awakened from her place on the border of dreams and sleep by the telephone ringing in the distance. Instantly, as though pulled back by a string, she left her place and opened her eyes to stare about the darkened room.

Hermione was twitching slightly, her dreams apparently full of terrible things. She had the urge to go wake her but the phone rang again. Silently, she got up and tip toed past Rosie's bed. Maggie looked up lazily, and then dropped back down to sleep.

Nervously, from past experience, she picked the phone up and held it to her ear. She whispered, chancing a glance at her sleeping friends. "H-hello?"

"Hello Alex. Did I wake you?"

Alex stifled a gasp. The voice was harsh and scratchy. She nearly dropped the phone but recovered just in time. "W-who is this? What do you want?"

"Oh Alex," the voice sounded pitying now. "You know why I called so don't play dumb. You already did when you chose to run. You just got yourself in more trouble when you chose to run. Now tell me... how is Hermione enjoying her dreams?"

Alex dropped the phone, ignoring the crackling laughter echoing in her ears. She ran to Hermione's side and touched her shoulder, hoping to wake her up. Instantly, her fear intensified and horrible images of tortured innocents swam before her eyes. She sank to the carpet, a feeling of dizziness becoming overwhelming. She felt and saw what Hermione did.

Hermione began to squirm in her bed but Alex couldn't move to help. Someone was coming... and they were coming fast. She opened her mouth to cry out and choked. Hermione did the honors. A long droning sound, not a scream but nothing understandable, pierced the silence.

Rosie sat bolt upright, her eyes wide in shock. She looked from Hermione, twitching and shaking violently beneath her many blankets, to Alex, kneeling beside her bed gagging on what seemed to be nothing at all.

"Oh not again!" She cried flinging herself from the bed and rushing to both girls aid. Maggie cried out in protest of being disturbed but no one paid attention. Rosie was too busy alternating between shaking Hermione and pounding on Alex's back trying to get her to breathe normally.

All three boys ran into the room, disturbed from their sleep by all the noise. Hermione still had not woken up and continued to scream her heart out. Draco looked furious until he allowed his eyes to take the scene in. "What in the world is bloody going on in here?!"

"Wish I knew but obviously I don't. Now if it's not too much trouble, somebody could HELP ME OUT ANY TIME NOW!" She screamed in frustration and fear.

Draco immediately took over the job of trying to wake Hermione up while Billy tried to help Rosie who continued to struggle with Alex, who by now had turned a bright red color from lack of air and the coughing fits she had been suffering. Chris ran to the phone and when he heard nothing but the dial tone, hung it up. He then ran to the kitchen to get water for Alex.

As soon as the phone was hung up, Hermione's eyes flashed open and Alex stopped gagging. The group watched Hermione's wide but distant eyes roam the room. Then she spoke in a quick raspy voice. "They're coming."

"Whose coming?" demanded Billy, who was now stuck with the job of holding onto Alex who seemed to have passed out.

Hermione's eyes landed on Billy and Alex. Only they weren't Hermione's eyes. These foreign eyes were bright green... so bright they seemed to light up the room. At once they seemed to soften, if possible. In the same raspy voice, she replied, "The Dark Lord sends his most trusted servants to retrieve you. You must take heed... you have been warned."

With that she collapsed backwards, landing on Draco's shoulder, her eyes now closed. Just then, Chris reappeared with the water. He seemed relieved to see that everyone was silent now. Without a word, he walked to Billy's side and took Alex into his own arms. He tried to get her to drink the water. After his third time trying with no success, he just dumped the entire cup over her head.

Alex woke with a shriek and her first reaction was to slap Chris across the face. After adjusting more to her surroundings and remembering what was going on, she realized she had just slapped one of her rescuers. She hugged him lightly and whispered in what little voice she could, "I'm so sorry about that. I hate it when people wake me up you know... I'm sorry."

He just laughed. "Alex, it's ok. You're alright and right now that's all I care about."

Alex smiled back and touched his red cheek softly. Just when the group thought they were going to have some romantic moment, she turned away. Her smile dropped and her eyes widened. "We have to leave."

"Yeah, in the morning we're going to pack up and continue our little journey, remember?" Rosie said from beside Billy. She was tired by now and just wanted to sleep now that the initial shock was over.

"No, you don't understand. We have to leave now! I mean right now. We have to get out of here, they're coming." Alex said, her voice shaking slightly with fear. She jumped up, the top of her head accidentally smacking Chris in the jaw. After a rushed apology, she grabbed his hand and began to run for the door. The others called after her in protest.

As soon as she reached the door, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The door slowly swung open and several cloaked figures stood there, cackling wildly. They pointed what could only be their wands at the terrified girl and muttered a curse that sent her sprawling on her back. She lifted her head slightly.

Chris was threatening to hit one of them around the head with something... a vase. The other death eater blasted it out of his hand. Hermione and Draco came running to the rescue with their wands out and aimed at the two intruders. They shouted random spells, their faces set with concentration and anger. In a moment, Billy and Rosie had joined the fight, throwing and swinging as many dangerous things as they could find.

Alex let her head fall back onto the carpet so that she was staring at the window opposite the door. She blinked. Was it opening?

It was. Another cloaked death eater stepped in through the open window. Alex could feel his gaze sweep the room landing on her, paralyzed on the ground. He walked to her quickly and quietly, so he didn't draw attention to himself. As soon as he grabbed her, Alex felt the paralysis leave her and found her voice.

She screamed and kicked trying to draw attention, trying to find help. The bigger battle was too loud however, and no one heard her. The wizard whispered an incantation and Alex found her arms bound, mouth gagged, and eyes blindfolded. She began to feel dizzy and eventually passed out as the cool wind from outside hit her face.

Hermione stood and looked around, surveying the damage. Many items were broken and scattered about the ground. The two death eaters themselves were unconscious on the floor at her feet. Draco had an ice pack over his forehead where he had been hit with a large book, thrown by a very desperate death eater. Rosie sat on the ground, binding Billy's knuckles, which he had split on someone's jaw. Chris was unharmed with the exception of a minor cut on his lip. Hermione herself had a fairly deep cut on her cheek. She frowned. Something was missing...

"Where's Alex?" She asked quickly, realizing she had been missing since the beginning of the fight.

Rosie quickly looked around her, panic creeping into her features. "She's gone? No, this can't be happening... Alex!"

A Death Eater twitched and Draco laid a finger over his lips to tell her to be quiet. Rosie nodded but silently began to cry. Billy hugged her comfortingly. Chris just sat on the edge of the bed, string into the distant dawn creeping in the window. Hermione sat beside him.

"Chris... are you going to be ok?"

Chris was quiet for a moment. He seemed to be lost in thought. Then slowly, he looked at Hermione. "She's ok, right? I mean, they haven't... you know... finished her off or anything, right?"

Hermione closed her eyes. Wouldn't she know if Alex was dead? Yes, of course she would... they were bound. Slowly, the sensation of wind rushing through her hair appeared, making her shiver slightly. She smiled reassuringly at Chris, "She's alive... trust me. But we have to find her."

"No bloody way! I'm not going to go looking for trouble. It does quite the job of finding me on its own thank you very much. There's absolutely no way I'm going to go looking for Voldemort himself to save some muggle." Draco cried indignantly, his eyes sparkling with rage and what could only be fear.

Chris was across the room in a heartbeat. "I'm getting tired of you thinking you're so high and mighty because you're a wizard! You sicken me. All you care about is yourself!"

"Watch it muggle boy. You're wrong there... I care for Hermione too and I don't want anything to happen to her!" Draco snapped back, shocked at the sudden verbal attack he was receiving from this guy... who did he think he was anyway?

Hermione joined in the argument. "Draco, if you really cared as much as you say you do, we would be out the door by now. Can't you see that I want to go save Alex? No mighty pureblood is going to stop me!"

Draco fell silent. He looked from Hermione, to Chris, then to Billy and Rosie. He opened and closed his mouth several times, like a fish out of water, then shrugged still looking daggers at Chris. "Fine, but only because you want to Hermione."

Without another word, the group went to their respectable rooms to change before heading out to the street. Though they were silent, Alex's absence was definitely apparent.

A/N well, was it any good? Let me know these things. Read and Review people, I write this stuff for you guys!! Lol! I think it's finally starting to get good. Well... whatever. Please, PLEASE, let me know what you think. I need opinions people. Bree, as always thank you for helping. You really make Rosie come to life. Well, Bye for now!


	17. Chapter 15

1A/N Hey! My lifes back on track! Aka: I got a new computer after my mother-board fried... Boy I was a-searchin for my story (to remind myself exactly what I'm writing) and I got a wake-up call. I really chose a lousy name, there's like a million other stories with the same title! Anyways, someone asked me how old Chris, Alex, Billy, and Rosie are. Well, Rosie and Alex are 15 and Billy's 17. Chris is big number 18! Wow! Anywho... I'm so happy to be back! Make it worth my return... READ THIS STORY! Lol.

Disclaimer- Come on guys, you know this bit. I don't own the characters or anything else in my story for that matter... don't you just love the ability to twist the story-line though? MWAHAHA!

Lying unconscious on the floor of a dark and filthy room was Alex, her hair scattered over her face and around her shoulders. She twitched slightly as something moved, crawling out of her sweatshrt pocket in silence.

A black cat sat in what little light could make it through the cracked locked door in the corner. She turned her green eyes from the door to Alex, then back to the door again. Suprisingly enough, all Maggie had to say about it was "Meow."

"I can't believe it... my best friend and my cat are missing and I'm walking around London with two wizards, a preppie tennis player, and a pizza guy... I'm dreaming, I've got to be." Rosie repeated for the tenth time since they started out. Billy had a comforting arm around her but you could tell he was definitely offended by the whole prep thing.

Up at the head of the line Draco was walking with Hermione. "I can't believe it." he said. "Here I am, wandering the streets of London with three low-class American muggles, searching for their low-class American friend with a book worm for company."

Hermione rather than trying to comfort him gave him a slap in the back of the head. "If you did more thinking and less complaining, we wouldn't be in the open like this! Get over your muggle-phobia and get on with it! Bloody hell, you complain more that a teenage girl who's been spoiled her whole life."

"Excuse me, mud-blood! Do you know who you're talking to? I am like a king and you are lower than the miserable peices of filth that lick my feet every day. So I would watch what I say if I were you." Draco screamed, shoving her out of his way to walk on alone.

Hermione wouldn't let him however. She ran up behind him, shoving him back and slapping him. "How dare you speak to me like that! After school gets out I'll show you who's better! You are 'king' just because you're dear old daddy is rich. What are you going to do after school? I can't think of you working for someone else... then again you could always go into your dad's chain of work, that'll make him really proud of his little-"

You guys, please just stop ok? Fighting won't get you anywhere and it doesn't help us much either!" Rosie screamed. "I want to find my cat! And my friend if that's at all possible..."

"Who cares what you want you piece of muggle trash!" Draco screamed, causing Rosie to step back in shock. Hermione shoved Draco again.

"Don't yell at her! You'll always be the same... a muggle-hater!" She snarled before turning away and beckoning the others to follow her. Silently, they left Draco standing there speachless. After they walked a little, Hermione said, "It'll be alright guys, I have a plan. We'll search them out as I feel what Alex feels and I'll dream of what Alex sees, I can be a sort of key. I know it's not the best but if you have another plan, I'm open to suggestions."

"I think it's a good plan." Chris said softly.

"Aaarrrghhhhh!"

"But if you want suggestions I'm sure I can think of something!" Chris said quickly, looking scared.

"No Chris, something's wrong. Hermione! Hermione, are you alright? Hermione!" Rosie shreiked as Hermione toppled over sideways in a faint.

Alex was woken up by something scratching her hand. She sat bolt upright, rubbing her cut hand. "Ouch!"

Maggie landed next to her with a wild hiss. The cat arched her back as she ran across the room (in a sideway motion I might add). The cat stood behind the door as it began to open... very slowly.

A young man was thrown in. He landed with a heavy thud by Alex. Alex let out a gasp and bent to help him. "Oh my- are you ok?"

"Does he look ok?" A cold voice full of evil laughter spoke from the doorway. Alex looked up into the eyes of her captor for the first time. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

"I may never have met you but I know you who are... you're Draco's father... Lucius." She whispered, more to herself than him. He laughed at her as if she was a foolish child.

"Very good Alex, and you figured that out all on your own? I'm impressed..." he strolled into the room looking around. "Now you don't seem happy at all Alex. Is there anything I can do to make your stay here more... comfortable?"

"Yes there is actually. There's two things you can do to make me more comfortable." Alex snarled angrily. "First, you can let me and this poor man go!"

"Tut, tut... I'm afraid that's out of the question. It simply can't be arranged. What's your second request?" Lucius asked politely.

"You really want to know?" Alex whispered softly.

"Of course my dear. My only wish is for you to be happy in your last hours of life." he replied bending close to hear her better.

She spat in his face, like a child up against some evil man offering them candy. "You can die!"

Lucius straightened up with an angry cry. "Why you- you'll pay for that! Crucio!"

Huge bursts of pain filled Alex as the spell gripped her. Shreiking and twisting she tried to end her misery anyway possible, including lashing out. Slowly her voice began to die as she slipped into a state of unconsciousness again.

Unnoticed by anyone, Maggie slipped out the door.

Billy carried Hermione as Rosie led them down the street. Preferably, the job would have been assigned to Draco or Chris, but as they had left Draco being and Chris seemed unattached with the world, Billy got the lucky job.

"Rosie, how much farther do we have to go?" Billy complained wearily.

"As far as it takes."

"As far as it takes? What's that suppose to mean?"

"As far as it takes us to find out where Alex is, or as far as it takes for Hermione to wake up... as far as it takes to think of a plan... as far as it takes to find my cat..."

"I knew it... she's lost it..." Billy moaned.

"What do you expect her to do? She can't find her friend or her cat and her 'travel guide' is unconscious." Chris answered flatly. He was looking out over the horizon, as if hoping to see Alex pop up out of a sewer and shout 'Suprise, it was all a joke.' Unfortunately, that wasn't happening anytime soon.

"...As far as it takes us to find a road map... as far as it takes us to find a smoothie... as far as it takes us to find-MAGGIE!!!"(gasp!)

"No Rosie, sweetie, you already mentioned that..." Billy said, struggling not to drop Hermione.

"No Billy look! It's her cat." Chris said in the same flat voice pointing at the black cat running towards them.

Just then Hermione woke up. She looked up at Billy and shrieked. "Unhand me you fiendish fiend... uh... berry!"

"Ow!" Billy cried out as she smacked him in the nose. Then she realized who it was. After a quick apology, they met up with Rosie and Chris.

"Maggie's acting weird." Rosie said nervously.

There was silence as everyone watched Hermione study the cats behavior with intense concentration. With a grim look of determination, she turned to her friends and said, "I think Maggie can show us where Alex is."

Draco walked down the street, still fuming. 'Bloody Hermione and her bloody muggle obsession.' he thought angrily kicking at a rock in the street. Suprisingly, the rock was kicked back at him. He looked up and blinked several time, hardly believing what he was seeing.

Two death eaters stood in front of him with their hoods off so he could see their faces.

"Hello Mate, long time no see." Blaise said companionably, but there was no friendliness in his eyes as he surveyed Draco.

Pansy giggled.

A/N Well, did you like it? I don't know... give me some feedback guys come on!!! Sorry for not updating in so long, but I think this chapter is pretty great. Anyways review and hurry please!!!


	18. Chapter 16

A/N Wow, I'm so happy to hear from you guys again. In fact, I'm so happy I'll add another chapter... no thank you's necessary. I hope you liked the last chapter, most of this is spur of the moment so yeah, it won't be professional or full of thought. Blah blah, no one reads this stuff so why write it? On with the story (what most consider the real reason to read fan fics.)

Disclaimer- I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!!!! J.K. ROWLING IS A GENIUS AND I CANT TAKE CREDIT FOR HER MASTERPEICE. I can (and will) take credit for something boring like... grammar... or the water cycle. That was all my fault and I am sorry.

Draco gulped as his 'friends' smiled at him in that cold, evil way. He attempted what he hoped was his old smile of spoiled rich-boy glee. He spoke, attempting keep his voice calm and hateful, "Hey guys, boy am I glad to see you. The mudblood got away from me and-"

"Cut the charade Draco." Pansy scolded. "You're cute but not cute enough to fool us. We know all about you and Grain-hairs little adventure."

"Granger." Draco corrected automatically.

"Yeah, whatever." Pansy shrugged indifferently, aiming her wand straight at Draco's heart. "The point is, we're afraid you've grown... soft."

"Voldemort's not happy about this, not happy at all Draco. He finds you to be a threat to the Death Eater ways. He says you're a disgrace to Slytherin... the only disgrace Slytherin has ever had." Blaise added the smile vanishing from his face for good.

"You guys... the only charade I'm playing is on Granger. I've got her convinced that she can trust me... I'm her friend. When the time is right, I'll finish her off!" Draco cried, hoping he was convincing. A little too convincing, Pansy and Blaise took a step back. Then, as if listening for some far away sound, too faint to really hear, Pansy cocked her head to one side, holding up a hand for silence. Then, she whispered in Blaise's ear who in turn smiled.

"Voldemort has something else in mind." Blaise informed Draco. "If what you say is true this should be no problem. He wants you to lead her to Alex... then he wants you to give her a little present, as a token of your false affection for her."

Pansy tossed Draco a silver chain, on which hung a green snake. Draco studied it carefully, then looked up at his companions curiously. "What is it?"

"A necklace... see that she gets it!" Pansy commanded.

"And tell her it was from you." Blaise added. They turned to leave, then Blaise paused and looked back at Draco. "And one more thing... you better not be lying to us Draco. If you are... we'll find out. We always do. When that happens... don't expect to see the next day... watch out."

Draco nodded to them and turned away as they left him. He inspected the necklace in his hands. He had a very bad feeling about all of this but there was nothing he could do. With a sigh he began to retrace his steps hoping to catch up with the others.

Hermione bent down to pat Maggie as she looked back once again to make sure the humans were still following her. She gave a small "meow" and continued to walk, running ahead and then back again impatiently as if saying "you people walk way too slow... jeez and they complain about cats being slow."

Chris walked beside Hermione looking very upset indeed. He closed his eyes remembering where the adventure began and how it all seemed so long ago. Alex... smiling as she retied his bandana. He now took the bandana in question off his head and began twisting it nervously, not caring that his messy black hair was in his face.

Hermione seemed to read his mind. "Hey," she said touching his shoulder. "She's going to be alright you know. I won't let anything happen to her and we'll find her in no time at all."

"I appreciate the comfort and the optimism, but I know she's not as safe as we'd like to think." Chris replied. He stopped suddenly and touched her arm cautiously. "This is just a thought, but what if they want us to go looking for her. Wouldn't we be just walking into the lion's den?"

"Of course it's what they planned. Otherwise, they would have taken me and Draco and went on their way." she replied honestly. Then she glanced at Maggie she smiled a little but her eyes showed fear. "And as for your comment on the lion's den there isn't one around here. According to Maggie, we're walking into this broken down house... sound nice?"

In response Chris shivered. Billy and Rosie walked up behind them and stood gazing up at the deserted relic. Rosie spoke first. "We aren't going in there are we?"

"We have to... that's where Alex is."

"Well... I'll just wait out here till you get back then shall I?" Billy spoke up looking hopeful. A hand reached out and touched his shoulder. He jumped and wheeled around. "Don't kill me! Please, I'm just a tennis player in my last year of high school... I want to live!"

"Calm down! It's only Malfoy." Rosie said, looking quite embarassed to be anywhere with him. She had her fingers against her temples as if she had a headache.

"Oh, ok." Billy said standing up from where he knelt before Draco. He sniffed andwiped a hand across his forehead. Then he pointed at Draco and aid in a very stern voice, "Don't you ever do that again, do you hear me? One it's not funny and two, it's rude!"

Hermione completely ignored Billy's attempts to cover up his embarassment. She stood in front of him facing Draco and demanded, "What are you doing here?"

"I..." Draco trailed off. Hermione raised an eye brow (A/NI hate the eyebrow thing but in stories, it sounds good.) Draco tried again, " I..."

"You what?" Chris asked flatly.

"I..."

"Draco, we really don't have time for this ok? If you're going to say something spill it. If not... go away." Hermione declared coldly. Only Draco wasn't listening.

In one of the windows in the house stood a masked figure staring down at them. He gave Draco the thumbs up then made a slashing motion across his neck, reminding Draco of the promise (lie) he had told Pansy and Blaise. Rosie noticed where his eyes were and she too looked in the window.

"Guys..." she squeaked. She cleared her throat expertly. "Guys... we've been spotted."

Everyone else looked up and the figure stared back defiantly. Hermione trembled a little. Draco put a hand on her shoulder which she shook off.

"Something tells me he doesn't want to invite us to tea..." Rosie continued. Out of the corner of her mouth she added, "Maybe we should wave..."

"Why is he just standing there and not blasting us to who-knows-where?" Billy questioned.

"I have no idea but I don't like this... I don't like it one bit... Chris, where are you going?" Hermione yelled as Chris moved towards the house. He opened the squeaky iron gate and began up the walk but Hermione stepped in front stopping him. "Where are you going?"

"Alex is in there... I was going to go grab her." Chris said simply.

"I have an idea that that's what they're hoping we do." Hermione said.

"We should follow the cat and go around the back." Draco said appearing next to them. "They alread know we're here... but I don't think this is where Alex is."

"Then why'd the cat lead us here?" Billy questioned.

"Maybe there's a path that leads to some other place... only accessable from here." Draco offered, slipping his hand into Hermione's. Hermione stepped away and dropped his hand like it burned. Draco gave her a pained look. "Look Hermione I'm sorry ok. This is hard on me... think about it, I've renounced my dad _to his face, _I'm running around running from my dad while running right into his hands to save some girl I don't even know, there's a war brewing... I snapped... and I'm sorry."

Hermione gave him a sad look, then she kissed him softly. "Apology accepted... now can we please save Alex?"

"Anything for you." Draco said with a small smile.

"How romantic" Rosie breathed out a sigh. She picked Maggie up and kissed her forehead. "Isn't it romantic Maggie?" Maggie cried, begging to be put down.

"Oh sure... kiss the cat..." Billy murmered. Rosie didn't hear him.

They snuck around the house that was literally falling apart and found themselves in the backyard. Unfortunately the backyard had another purpose.

"Wonderful... a graveyard." Rosie said with a shiver. Maggie bounded across the length off the headstone covered land to what appeared to be the beginnings of a forrest. "Maggie, where are you going? Come back here!"

They ran after the cat, taking care not to 'disturb' the final resting place of anyone. On the waypast aparticularly grim looking stone, Chris slipped in some mud, hitting his head on the gloomy monument. He sat up rubbing his head and attempting to9 brush the mud off his clothes. Then, he looked at the stone. Cautiously, he cleared away the moss covering the name of the deseased. His face grew pale as he yelled, "Uh guys... you better see this!"

"What is it Chris?" Rosie asked standing next to him.

"Read the stone."

Hermione read it first and gasped. She read it again to double check. "It's Voldemort's father's grave! I know where we are now! This is the Riddle house in... in... man, I can never remember the name! Little something..."

"Little house? Little Rock? Little drummer boy?" Billy offered. Rosie smacked him. He gave her an offended look. "I was joking."

"Little Hangleton." Draco cut in. He gave Hermione a grim look, then began ushering everyone away. "Come on, we should start moving. We shouldn't linger here..."

"Draco's right... we need to go into the woods and find Alex." Hermione agreed.

"If something doesn't find us first. There's no telling what's in those woods." Billy said sternly.

"Thank you I feel much better now..." Rosie said glaring at him. She shivered as they all reluctantly entered the woods, Hermione in front, her wand held at the ready while Draco took up the rear.

A/N One word for you--- REVIEW! uh oh... bed time.


	19. Chapter 17

A/N Oh my... rereading I realize that this isn't as good as I had hoped. It is rather slow (lots of talking and little action) huh? Oh well... I shall continue to write so long as people continue to read. I think this next chapter should go a little faster.

Disclaimer- you guys know this bit. I own nothing you read, how pathetic I am...

The group filed into the forest, huddled very closely together. Their new discoveries of where they were didn't exactly bring comfort. Carefully stepping over a twig, Rosie began to sing to cheer up. Her voice echoed mysteriously in the dark overgrown gloom. Hermione's soon joined hers, singing the most ridiculous song either could have ever thought of. "On top of spaghetti, all covered in cheese, I lost my poor meatball, when somebody sneezed. It rolled off the table..."

"Why, of all the songs, you had to pick that one I shall never know." Draco complained.

"You don't like my voice Draco?" Hermione said with a frown.

"I don't like that song." he replied, shuddering. "It's annoying..."

"Well sooorry." Rosie said quite rudely.

"We probably shouldn't be singing anyways... it only lets them know we're here." Hermione suddenly whispered looking around cautiously.

"They already know we're here if that guy in the window was doing his job." Billy spoke up confidently.

Hermione glanced back at him apprehensively then mouthed, "They aren't the ones I mean."

"Oh don't say that... it's creepy. Why did you have to go and say a thing like that?" Rosie whined. "I'm scared enough as it is."

Billy snuck up behind her making her scream. With a laugh he said, "Well, she's right about that. She's way to easy to scare."

"Please muggles, stop. Do you want to kill us all?" Draco hissed angrily. He looked left and right before continuing to walk down the path, barely noticeable through the underbrush.

The rest followed him quietly. They walked for several minutes until Rosie heard a twig snap behind her. She wheeled around looking for the source with wild eyes. When she saw nothing, she turned back with a frown... something was wrong.

Another twig snap echoed out, closer this time. Rosie closed her eyes pretending to ignore it as she walked along. 'It's not there... no one's there... stop being paranoid.' she thought. As she stumbled her eyes shot open again... that was a bad idea. No more walking in the woods with her eyes closed. Something touched her shoulder, just as Billy had.

"Billy cut it out ok? Draco says no more games." She said with a sigh.

"Cut what out?" Billy asked from where he walked in front of her.

She looked at him with fear then turned around and felt a scream escape her mouth. Standing in a small circle of light that manage to escape through the trees was a hideous monster. It was the size of a small troll, but it had it's share of dangers to make up for what it lacked in giant height. It had huge tusks as well as a row of very sharp fangs. In it's sharp claws it carried a club decorated with numerous spikes and disgusting stains.

"Oh bloody he-" was all Draco could get out before the beast threw him against a tree with one sweep of it's hand.

"What is that thing?" Rosie demanded, backing away and tripping over a rock. She fell back, staring up at it as it began to walk towards her.

"It's one of Voldemort's created beasts. One of his favorite hobbies is experimental breeding... I read it in _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_." Hermione explained running up behind the beast. She pointed her wand at a nearby rock. "_Accio!_"

The rock flew to her outstretched hand and expertly she threw it at the beast, catching it just below the eye. It turned towards her in anger. Chris threw another rock, catching it in the back of the head.

"Oy! If you go after girls like that your just as bad as your master Shrimp!" He yelled, throwing another rock that missed it's shoulder by inches.

The thing probably didn't register the first insult but shrimp definitely hit home. It charged at Chris letting out an angry war cry. Chris jumped out of the way just in time as the heavy club hit the tree he had been leaning against.

Rosie, sitting on the ground looked around quickly. She spotted Billy hiding behind a tree. "Billy, you coward! Get out here and help!"

Numbly, Billy seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts and he lunged towards the creature. He rapped his arms around it's neck trying to choke it. It threw him aside like nothing. He landed next to Rosie who whispered, "That's not what I meant."

Draco, gasping slightly, cast a spell of jet red sparks into the creatures eyes as it went after Chris yet again. It howled, stumbling around in pain. Hermione just barely got out of it's way before turning towards it,a look of determination in her eyes. "_Expelliarmus!_"

The club flew out of it's hand. She pointed at it saying, "_Wingardium Leviosa!_"

The club flew into the air, smacking it's owner in the jaw. It's head shot back and hit a tree, knocking it unconscious. As it fell forward, Rosie let out a shriek, trying to move away. Billy pulled her out of the path of the falling monstrosity just in time.

"You are useful after all." Rosie said gratefully.

Draco stepped over to the thing, still clutching his chest. He found a name tag around it's thick neck. "It's called a Vehemoth."

"Just like him to use a perfectly normal word for monster and add his little piece of ownership to it." Hermione said, referring to the swith from behemoth to vehemoth. She looked at Draco sadly. "Are you ok?"."

"I'm fine really. Nothing more than a bruise." He groaned. He turned to Rosie. "What about you? Are you alright?"

"I think I might have sprang my ankle." She said wincing a little. "I'll be alright."

Draco nodded to her as Billy helped her stand up. She winced, applying pressure on her ankle but gave everyone the thumbs up that she could carry on. They began to walk through again... more slowly this time looking around for signs of more dangers. Rosie spoke what everyone was thinking, "I don't like this place."

"I don't think any of us do... Billy don't touch that." Hermione said looking back as Billy reached for some strange fungus growing on the side of a tree. He gave her a dissappointed look, like a spoiled kid who was just told no.

"It's getting dark... soon we won't be able to see..." Draco whispered.

"Whoa... we are not going to stay in these woods overnight." Rosie said picking Maggie up and holding her tight.

"Well we can't walk aroung blind as bats, can we?" Draco argued.

"Draco's right... again. We should probably set up a camp and take shifts sleeping." Chris said, offering his thoughts for the first time in a while. The boys set up a makeshift camp while Hermione conjured a fire that wouldn't burn down the trees around them.

Rosie offered to help but as she still couldn't walk well was left to sit on a tree stump and pet Maggie. Softly she sang the worst song ever, about a moose in a bayou and then broke into the only line she really knew "Chained to a stump!"

Hermione started laughing as Draco began freaking out thinking some evil thing was playing with their heads. Billy just looked at her strangely. Chris offered his opinion. "That is the worst song I have ever heard."

"Oh come on the groups not that bad!" Billy argued. Chris just looked at him so he continued his arguement. "It's a song by a group called Pork Tornadoes..."

"The name says all..." Draco interrupted. "A group of men with nothing better to do... and no talent for that matter."

They were silent for a while after that, all agreeing with Draco on that one. Rosie sighed, moving to the ground so she could lean against the trunk. She closed her eyes and started thinking out loud, "This really sucks! What I wouldn't give to be somewhere else... maybe stranded in a different forrest somewhere with a smoothie and Heath Ledger... with Alex safe and sound at home babysitting my cat... or even at the tennis open with Carlos Moya..."

"Excuse me?" Billy said standing next to her looking offended.

"You're excused." Rosie offered off-handidly, still thinking about Heath and Carlos with her eyes shut.

"Who is this Carlos Moya guy? I want to have a chat with him..." Billy demanded.

"Good luck with that." Rosie said, opening her eyes for the first time.

"What do you mean?"

"Carlos Moya is a pro tennis guy. He's famous. If you ever got a hold of him you better let me know so I can tell Alex's friend Travis... he's wanted to chat with him for some time now too." Rosie explained. Billy looked quite embarassed at this and shut up.

"Who's Travis?" Chris asked.

"Oh don't worry about that Chris. Alex isn't going to date Travis... he's an online friend and she's not into long distance relationships. Sure he's asked but she turned him down. You've got nothing to fear." Rosie reassured him with a smile.

"After you finish setting up dates... can we please just arrange something so we can go to sleep?" Draco said angrilly. "Honestly, is that all you American Muggles do?"

"Draco..." Hermione said in a warning voice. Then she turned to the others. "Alright so who's got first watch?"

"Maggie and I will handle it. It's the least we can do after watching all of you do the real work." Rosie replied immediately.

"Sounds good to me." Draco said, laying down on the ground near the fire. "I call second..."

"Third." Billy said sternly.

"I'll take fourth and Chris can take last if he wants." Hermione explained. Chris nodded and he too curled up by the fire. Hermione was soon to follow and Billy. When everyone was asleep, Rosie just sat on her stump, looking out into the darkness. If anything suspicious happened, she would yell as planned and after an hour and a half she was to wake up Draco for his watch. A small noise caught her by suprise.

Relax... it's only me." Billy whispered, sitting beside her.

"What are you doing? Go back to sleep."

"Maybe in a few minutes." he answered, looking at Hermione and Draco curled up in each others arms. "They look so happy together..."

"Yeah...they are like the perfect couple. Arguing but always sticking together. Draco would do anything for her... he'd never hurt her. I guess the books were wrong..." Rosie said dreamily.

"Maybe they were right and this is a new thing... tham getting together you know?"

"Maybe..."

Draco was lying awake, listening to Rosie and Billy. He looked at Hermione, sleeping in his arms and shuddered, remembering the necklace in his pocket. Gently, he swept a brown curl off of her forehead. She stirred a little, breathing his name out softly. "Draco..."

"I'm here." He assured her.

"Good. Don't ever leave me Draco..." She frowned slightly in her dream. "Don't leave..."

"I never will."

"I love you..." she mouthed then with a small snore she fell deeper into sleep.

Draco's heart caught in his throat as he choked on the words. For some reason, he couldn't say them back. Not now, as he was thinking of that horrid necklace Pansy had gave him. He felt thankful that there was no need to say them, that Hermione was just dreaming and had no idea what she was saying. At the same time, he regretted not being able to tell her that the very same words had been on his mind for so long.

Gently, he disentangled himself from her arms and walked over to Rosie, now sitting alone looking out into the wilderness. She looked up when he drew close enough and whispered, "What is wrong with you guys and sleeping? Your shift isn't for another 45 minutes Draco."

"No that's ok, I can't sleep. I'll take over from here."

"Are you sure?" Rosie said sounding uncertain.

"I'm positive Rosie now get some sleep." He answered.

"I'll try but I don't know if I can fall asleep."She told him doubtfully, hiding a yawn. A minute after she curled up next to Billy, soft noises could be heard telling Draco she was alseep.

He considered this as good a time as any and took the necklace from his pocket. He inspected it in the firelight. It sparkled with a sort of manacing and deadly power. He shuddered then pulled his arm back, preparing to launch it into the woods.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Draco." A voice advised right behind him. It was Pansy, leaning up against a tree, very close to where Hermione slept. She looked down at her with a sneer. "The Dark Lord wouldn't like that very much at all. He would be convinced that you betrayed us and then... well I should hate to think of what he would do to you."

Draco watched her intently as she drew a slashing motion across her throat with her pointer finger. His fingers shook from both anger and fear. He lost his grip and the necklace dropped to the ground with a thump, landing in the dirt, still glittering in the firelight. Maggie pounced at it but withdrew with a growl as Pansy hissed at her like a serpent. Draco looked alarmed.

"I didn't think you were a parsletongue." He said casually smirking at the once proud girl now glaring at him nervously.

"I didn't want people to know that. They'd think I'm some kind of freak like Potty-"

Draco's eyes flashed at the sudden insult of Mione's best friend. He hated the kid himself but still, what gave Pansy the write to do his job of insulting him? In a very serious voice Draco demanded, "What are doing here Pansy?"

"I'm here to make sure you're not getting cold feet and backing out on us." Her eyes fell to the necklace still on the ground near Draco's feet. "Looks like I got here just in time. You were about to throw you life away with that necklace and we don't want that now do we Draco?"

"Did Voldemort send you?"

"I'm come on my own accord. Voldemort doesn't really care about you as he is still convinced you're a traitor. He doesn't need to see you give her that necklace... he could finish her off on his own. That is, after he finished you. I don't want to see that happen Drackey-" Draco flinched at the nickname. She ignored him and continued. "You're too sweet to lose just because some mudblood has you bewitched. So I came to remind you. Don't you dare throw that necklace away."

"What's the necklace going to do to her?" Draco demanded not able to resist.

Pansy's small beady eyes flashed dangerously. "What do you care? It's a suprise but it's going to be so... magnificent."

She was now standing directly in front of him. She smiled up at him, as if imagining the horrible affects of the cursed necklace now. Much to Draco's disgust she reached up and caught his chin in her hand. It was cold... as cold and slimy as her crooked heart. Soflty, she rubbed his cheek with her thumb, her smile growing more and more evil. She kisseed him harshly on the lips, a short painful experience for Draco. She backed away, "Until we meet again Draco..."

Draco blinked, he was standing alone near the stump. The others slept on, nothing had disturbed them. Draco began to wonder if he had dreamed the whole thing but no... Maggie was still growling at the place where Pansy had once stood. Draco looked downward and there... right by his left foot, was the necklace. He bent down and picked it up. Then with a sigh, he put it in his pocket.

A short distance away, Alex woke from her dream with a start. Someone was standing over her. The uttered something and a glow surrounded her. A burden seemed to be lifted. At first she thought this was a good thing. Then she realized they had broken the connection she had with Hermione. This couldn't be good.

Sure enough, the wizard turned to the one next to him and said, "It is done sir."

"Very good Zambini." Came Luscius' voice from behind the hood. "The less pain Hermione feels, the sooner that blasted cat will lead them here. Impatience is usually not my weakness but I feel I cannot wait for the ceremony to begin. Now that the bond is broken, do with her what you will..."

Alex gulped. This was definitely not good.

A/N what do you think? read and review please!!! Oh and if there are spelling errors I apologize... the program I'm using to type this doesn't have spell check (or I lost it... which is a very me thing to do -)


	20. Draco's Dream

1Draco's dream: Ok Draco does finally manage to sleep but when he does, he dreams of what would happen if he betrayed Hermione. Warning this chapter has the song only one by yellowcord. If you don't like the song skip this chapter, it's pointless anyway. I don't want anyone mad at me because they don't like the group, I'm addicted to the song. -

Draco opened his eyes on a cold gray morning. Sighing he pulled himself out of bed and peered into the newspaper delivered to him by his new House Elf. The article in the front brought new tears to his eyes and a lump in his throat. Angrily, he threw it down and went to go take a shower. On the table a picture of Hermione Granger blinked up from the first page under a headline which read _"Hermione Granger, dear friend of Harry Potter, found dead in an old abandoned house in Little Hangleton_."

Draco thought about it all morning as he washed and ate. It was, after all, his fault.

_Broken this fragile thing now_

_And I can't, I can't pick up the pieces_

_And I've thrown my words all around_

_But I can't, I can't give you a reason._

He trembled, remembering how he had betrayed her, lying saying the necklace was from him as a good luck charm. He remembered her face when she was told the truth and she realized that it was all his fault. He closed his eyes slowly, debating on wether he should attend the funeral. Suprisingly, he didn't feel grieved, just... torn.

_I feel so broken up (broken up)_

_And I give up (I give up)_

_I just want to tell you so you know._

With a heavy sigh, he grabbed his cloak and ran out the door, his last words to Hermione screaming out in loud echoes, reverberating against his ears. The wind, as if for punishment, beat down on him mercilessly, as the slight rain began.

_Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you_

_You are my only one_

_I let go, but there's just no one who gets me like you do_

_You are my only, my only one._

Those words, he had yelled them to Hermione as she ran from him. With those words, he had confessed love and that he wished things hadn't turned out the way they did. When he finally got to the funeral home, he was soaked. He walked through the crowd, ignoring the glares and sobs that came his way. The crowd seemed to part and he found himself in front of his Hermione. Instantly, he felt a rush of guilt as he stared down at her with saddened eyes.

_Made my mistakes, let you down_

_And I can't, I can't hold on for too long._

_Ran my whole life in the ground_

_And I can't, I can't get up when you're gone._

He suddenly realized the reason why he'd been so calm about this. He had never allowed himself to wake up to the truth. He had told himself, she's fine, this isn't real. Now, seeing her so pale and still in that cursed box had started the pain. He felt crushed and overwhelmed.

_And something's breaking up (breaking up)_

_I feel like giving up (like giving up)_

_I wont walk out until you know_

That's when the commotion started. Draco heard screaming and many people began to run. A man with flaming red hair stood in the very center glaring daggers at Draco as two men ran over and grabbed him by the arms. Through the commotion, the words began again, louder.

_Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you_

_You are my only one_

_I let go, but there's just no one who gets me like you do_

_You are my only, my only one._

_Here I go dishonestly_

_leave a note for you my only one_

_And I know you can see right through me_

_So let me go and you will find someone._

Let me go and you will find someone... those were the words he had wanted to scream before he handed her the necklace. He wanted to yell at her. If it meant she was safe, he should have been more than willing. As if this sudden realization changed things, Hermione's eyes opened and she walked to Draco with a smile. Tears slid down her cheeks... but she was smiling. She hugged him.

"Hermione! You're alive, now we can change our names, move away, and we can-" He was interrupted as she sadly shook her head. Gently, she turned him to face the chaos and nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.

_Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you_

_You are my only one_

_I let go, but there's just no one who gets me like you do_

_You are my only, my only one._

_My only one_

_My only one_

_My only one_

_You are my only, my only one._

Draco saw himself, lying face down on the floor a short distance from Hermione's coffin, where Hermione still lay. Nearby the men were trying to wrestle Ron's wand out of his grip. Draco knew... he was dead and Ron had killed him. He turned to Hermione hopefully. She held his hand and smiled. Together, they walked hand in hand out of the funeral home, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

A/N Like I said this is just a dream. More of a filler actually. Hope those who read it liked it! Sorry it's so simple and not too interesting!


	21. Chapter 18

1A/N I'm baaack. You guys... hmmm. Anyways- I do hope you guys like this story, but you wouldn't read it if you didn't right? I may start updating more stories during this one, it helps cuz I got all these ideas at once. Whatever, on with the story I suppose.

Disclaimer: You guys know this bit! Who owns all of this fun info? J.K. Rowling! Alright we got that squared away, lets get going!

Draco opened his eyes and the first thing he saw were two big brown orbs hovering in front of him. At first he didn't react, smiling up at them in a sleepy sort of way. Then he blinked and jumped back screaming, "Bloody hell! Keep away!"

Hermione, the owner of the orbs, which had actually been her eyes frowned and said, "A little jumpy, aren't we Draco?"

"Y-you don't sneak up on a person like that. It's not fair, I could have died 'Mione.!"

"You'll live." she answered shortly with a small smile.

Draco looked around, shock suddenly gripping his heart. "How long was I asleep? What time is it? Is everyone ok?"

"Draco calm down! You nodded off just before your watch was up. Thankfully Chris was still up and he decided to take your place rather than wake you..." She replied motioning to the silent figure sitting not too far away, staring blankly into the distance. "He hasn't slept at all. Maybe you should try to help him, I'm really concerned."

Draco gave her a look. "You know I've never been the kind of person to have heart to hearts!"

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "So I won't be able to talk to you when I need someone, is that it?"

"You're a different case entirely."

"Then do it for me Draco. Please, he's my friend and you do owe him for taking over for you last night." She pleaded.

"That shouldn't have happened! I was careless last night and I fell asleep! I'm a failure as far as protection goes." He said, fuming.

Her face set firmly. "Then go talk to Chris and all will be forgiven. I want to know what's wrong and we'll need him for the fight ahead."

"Fine, off to a lost cause walks Draco Malfoy, psychiatrist extra ordinaire!" He yelled stomping off toward Chris. "I hope you're happy Hermione, I'm only doing this for you."

"Thank you!"

"Yeah, whatever." He called back. Then he sighed, jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans. As he drew closer, Chris did nothing, not even look up from where he was staring. Draco had to say something in order for him to turn his head. "Hey, are you alright?"

Chris turned his eyes unto Draco. He really did look horrible. His eyes held none of the warmth or laughter they used to. They were slightly red and he had dark circles underneath. His face was pale and set, never seeming to so much as twitch. It was as if he wore a mask rather than his real face. It made Draco shiver. The once messy but beautiful black hair hung limp and heavily on his shoulders, as if in defeat. "I'll be fine."

"If there's something wrong, you can talk about it you know. Don't leave us in the dark. Hermione's really concerned. She says you haven't slept a wink." Draco said casually.

Chris nodded in agreement. He looked up with sparkling eyes. "I just, couldn't help her. She was right there one moment, then gone the next. I felt that it was my job to look after and I failed."

Draco nodded remembering how furious with himself he was for drifting off and leaving Hermione unprotected. If she was stolen, he didn't know what he would have done. "I wish I could say I know how you feel."

"Well you can't!" Chris said, suddenly furious. "You don't know what it's like to lose someone you love! You don't know how hard it is to see another guy protect the women he loves and know that you failed to do that exact same thing. You don't know what it's like wondering if she's still alive."

"No I don't." Draco admitted. Chris wasn't finished however.

"Hermione's right there Draco! You can see she's ok and that she's alive. She may be upset but she's not dead or missing! I don't know what's happening to Alex and I don't know if I ever will! You don't get it!" Chris yelled turning red. Billy and Rosie were now awake.

Draco paused for a moment to see if Chris would continue. When he didn't he decided it was safe to ask, "Feel better now?"

"A little." Chris said, gasping slightly and nodding. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. Just let it all out if it helps you a little. It's not your fault. None of saw Alex in trouble. None of us could help her."

"Yeah but I'm different because..."

"Because you love her?" Draco offered.

Chris blinked at him. "How did you know that?"

"It was in there amongst your shouting. It's true though right?"

"Um... yeah, guess so."

"You guess so? It's yes or no."

"Yes, ok?"

"Alright then, lets go save her." Draco said offering him his hand as he stood. Chris accepted it and the group began to assemble to get moving again.

Alex lay curled up against the wall long after that man- Zambini- left. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes ut she refused to wipe them away. 'Let them think I'm asleep.' She thought. Blaise had hurt her in several ways, but he had not raped her thank god. He had beaten her to a pulp, threaten to kill her friends, and called her many things she would never repeat. She was afraid he would take her life but thankfully, he left after her cell mate, the missing Neville Longbottom, was thrown back in.

A hand rested on her shoulder in the darkness. Neville had been by her side all night. He was trying to help her, but after meeting that Zambini man, she had no desire to speak to anyone or begin to trust yet. She tucked her knees under her chin and just rested there, praying for sleep. She began to sing her a song by Breaking Benjamin. It helped. She sang song after song, all by BB. First she sang Sooner or Later, then it was Breakdown, Rain, So Cold, Follow, Forget it... all her favorites.

Neville joined in on the chorus, which he learned by listening to her the first time. They were just going through the chorus of Break my Fall, when the door opened.

"I am losing you again, let me out let me in, cause you're not alone here not at all, let me belong here, break my fall."

"You, stop that singing!" came the familiar voice of Blaise Zambini. He walked over and grabbed Alex by the arm. "Come along precious. You're coming with me."

"N-no." Alex whispered pulling at her arm trying to free it from his grasp. She cursed herself for not being able to keep fear from her voice. This only made Blaise laugh.

"Don't be so scared of me sweet heart, I won't hurt you... yet. Now come on!" He pulled her up forcefully, nearly ripping her arm from it's socket. She whimpered in pain as Neville got to his feet facing Blaise.

"Leave her alone, haven't you done enough?"

"You know, you've gotten real cheeky lately Longbottom, I think I'll be speaking to the boss about you." Blaise made it sound real threatening. He laughed as Neville's face turned white. Then without another word he dragged Alex out of the room.

"Don't worry Neville, I won't let them touch you! I- I'll come back!" Alex yelled desperately.

"No you won't." Blaise whispered. Then he yelled, "Don't count on it Longbottom!"

"Where are we going? W- where are you taking me?" She cried out pulling on his arm again.

"Hey! Relax will you?" He said throwing her into a room and shutting the door behind them. She took a look around and suddenly realized they were in his personal chambers.

She jumped to her feet and made a run for the door but he caught her around the waist. "No! Let mje go! Let me out, help! Noooo!"

"_Stupefy!_"

Alex lay still once again. She was limp in his arms, unable to speak, unable to move. Blaise, gasping slightly, offered, "Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. The easy way, you can do as I say as my personal slave and I won't hurt you. The hard way, you can do what I say as my slave by force and that will be very painful. What shall it be?"

He freed her limbs from the curse and she stood blinking at him. Then quietly she said, "What is your first order sir?"

"Good girl." Blaise said with that evil smile again. He kissed her roughly as if to cause more pain than anything, then threw her from him ordering, "Sing for me!"

So she sang through her very obvious tears, a sight that made him laugh. She cried harder as her eyes wandered to the small window. 'Guys, where are you?' She thought.


	22. Chapter 19

A/N yay! Another chapter!!!

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

The group hiked along the trail through the woods. They were hungry, tired, and upset but there was no stopping now. A while ago they had heard a scream they were almost certain belonged to Alex. Rosie ran to catch up with Hermione who was leading them all by following Maggie. Draco had hung back with Chris and no one objected. Whatever Draco had said, it helped a lot.

"So you can't connect with her anymore?" Rosie asked Hermione. "Y- you can't feel what she feels and all that?"

"Nope, I've tried several times... none were successful." Hermione said bitterly. "My guess is that they have disconnected our bond."

"But why would they do that. Two for one deal is great for them isn't it." Rosie asked, referring to the fact that Hermione had felt all the pain Alex had.

"My guess is that they want us to get there. They're waiting for us." Hermione said grimly.

"That's awful." Rosie said with a shiver. "Do you think there's anything else in these woods waiting for us?"

"Zombies!" Billy offered.

"I'm serious Billy. Quit joking around!" Rosie said shivering. The thought of zombies gave her the creeps.

"Who's laughing?" Billy asked, pointing into the distance. Rosie followed his gaze and felt her heart stop as she hid her scream of fear behing a hand.

Lurching toward them were several figures, none of which seemed to be really alive. They were all discolored and decaying, the flesh hanging off of the older ones bones. Some had slack jaws, unable to speak as those muscles had rotted long ago. All of them grunted and groaned, the ability of speach disappearing with the normal functions of the brain. Some carried weapons dragging on the ground, some just looked hungry.

"Why me?" Rosie whispered softly. Beside her Maggie was hissing at the creatures, some of which hissed back.

"Of all things, he had to pick Zombies as his ultimate body guards." Draco complained stepping forward to face them.

"Well you figure they have no fear, follow all orders given, and are hard to stop." Hermione offered. "It's probably one of the smartest choises for dirty work you don't want to deal with."

"May be true but they're stupid as-"

"Draco!" Hermione cried, not because he had nearly sworn but because at that moment a zombie had jumped at him, knocking him to the ground in a wild fury.

Draco grunted, trying to throw the thing off of him. It held on tight, it's teeth working furiously as it tried to bite him. Draco sneered and said, "Someone's hungry eh?"

"A couple weeks being dead without food will do that to a person." Hermione said. She aimed carefully and jinxed the zombie off of Draco. It flew 10 feet in the air and landed right next to Rosie. Rosie squealed and hid behind Billy, who in turn scooted back behind Chris. Chris ran foward with a log and hit the zombie in the head breaking it's neck. The zombie was dead... well as dead as a dead thing can be.

"One down, nine to go!" Draco offered massaging his neck where the zombie had tried to strangle him. He tucked his wand in his belt, grabbed a rock and chucked it at a nearby zombie. It caught it off guard so Draco charged at it and snapped it's neck. Looking down at it, he whispered, "Thanks for the fighting lessons dad."

"Nice work Draco!" Hermione called, petrifying a zombie before Chris knocked it's head off with another log. Nearby, Billy was actually trying to help. He threw rocks at the creatures as Rosie pulled back a branch. When she let it go, two more zombie heads went rolling into the dust.

"Five more guys... I'm getting tired." Draco said, gasping for breath. "If we had a shotgun, we could shoot their brains out!"

Quickly Hermione transfigured a nearby log into a gun and several small rocks into bullets. She loaded it and tossed it to Draco. Draco caught it and taking careful aim said "Say goodbye mo-"

"Draco!" Hermione cried again, this time was actually for his language.

He rolled his eyes but shot four zombies in the head, killing them instantly. Then he looked around, frowning slightly. "Wait a minute... weren't there ten of them? I thought I counted ten, I only see nine here..."

"Maybe there were only nine... or maybe the tenth one got away or you just didn't see it get killed." Chis suggested, massaging his wrist.

"Or maybe it's right behind Rosie!" Draco yelled running forward with the gun. "More bullets Hermione!"

Hermione knelt down looking for pebbles. Rosie screamed as the zombie grabbed her and lowered it's head to her shoulder. Tears ran down her cheeks as she whispered, "Please no."

She closed her eyes but the pain never came because at that instant, Draco collided with the zombie, knocking it away from her. The two rolled around on the ground fighting as two children would. The gun lay a few feet away forgotten. Hermione grabbed it and loaded it. Then taking careful aim she shot the zombie crying, "Die!"

The thing was still. Draco rolled away from it, clutching his shoulder. His breath was ragged but he gave Hermione a grateful smile.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly.

"No." He answered pulling his hand away so all could see the distinct bite mark on his shoulder. They drew back with a gasp.

"Oh no..." Hermione whispered, tears sparkling in her soft brown eyes.

"Don't worry about it... you know what to do. I mean, we've all seen these zombie movies." Draco said shakily, pushing the gun into Hermione's hands.

Hermione threw the gun to the ground and stepped away. "No... NO WAY!"

"Hermione, what else can we do?" Draco demanded.

"We can find a cure!" Rosie spoke up, looking nervouse. "But if we don't find one in time..."

"Then we kill me." Draco prompted. He stood up and waved his wand in front of his wound, cleaning and bandaging it. Then he walked toward the path. "Shall we go then?"

They continued onward. Draco lost in his own thoughts. The group kept looking back at him at different intervals. He walked at the back, feeling his brow begin to break out into a cold sweat. He knew he was pale, he didn't need a mirror to figure that out. It began to get dark. They stopped and set up a camp, much to Hermione's objection.

"We can't find a cure just sitting here!" She argued.

"We can't find one getting lost in the dark with a half-zombie either." Chris pointed out. He whispered so only she could hear, "I know you don't want to hear this but I don't know how long he can last. He's not looking too good."

She nodded with small tears in her eyes. She knew this was true but it didn't make hearing it any more bearable. She looked over at Draco, sitting alone far from the light of the fire.

Draco knew Hermione was gazing at him but he didn't look up. Instead he lay down on his back staring up at the sky thinking. He had made sure the gun was next to him and now he touched the barrel softly, as if to reassure himself it was there. He began to think of lyrics to some stupid muggle song from some stupid muggle movie. Fear factory: Invisable wounds from Resident Evil. A zombie movie. He laughed.

Dark bodies floating in darkness

No sign of light ever given

Imprisoned in a world without a memory

unconscious, or am i conscious?  
cut from the heart i am part of  
sometimes i feel as though i'm frozen in heaven.

"Draco? Are you ok?" Came Hermione's voice. Draco stayed silent, hoping she'd go away and think he was asleep. "Draco?"

A moment later, she left, convinced he was asleep. He let out a sigh and looked up at the sky again. His vision had turned blurred and hazy. He was beginning to forget things, like his mind was slowly slipping away. He didn't tell Hermione, he didn't want her scared. He wanted her far away when he did what he had to do. He knew if she was nearby, he couldn't do it. He waited until they were all asleep before bringing the gun out. He studied it carefully before puttting it to his forehead and closing his eyes.

"Draco..." came a voice. He opened his eyes and lowered the gun looking around. No one was there. The voice came again "Draco..."

This time he recognized it. "What is it now Pansy?"

"Oh don't sound so happy to see me." Pansy said appearing before him by throwing off her invisability cloak. "You really don't have manners sometimes..."

"Pansy, if you haven't noticed I'm busy so if you could just leave that would be nice."

"Oh no you don't! You wont shoot yourself if I have any say in it. I have an offer for you Drackey..." She said softly.

"No nicknames please." He said gulping. His throat was getting dry... he didn't have much time. "What's the offer?"

"Well I happen to have the antidote to your problem right here. I'm willing to offer it to you but only if you do me a favor."

"And that favor would be?"

"Give Hermione the necklace immediately. The dark Lord says no more holding back, she must have that necklace on!" Pansy urged.

"And if I refuse?"

"If you refuse... well, I leave taking the gun with me and your friends get stuck with a zombie when they wake up. I didn't think you cared so much for that mudblood, this should be an easy decision for you."

Draco cursed her under his breath. She had walked him right into this one so he did only have one choice. He looked up at her but even her outline so close to him was fuzzy. He didn't have much time. He sighed and said, "Ok, I'll give her the necklace first thing tomarrow."

Paqnsy clapped her hands with glee. "A wise decision Draco. Hold still."

Draco did as he was told and watched as she loaded a syringe with a strange liquid and injected it into his arm. He bit his lip knowing that he had just signed Hermione's life away. The affects of the chemical were immediate. Ina moment he was lying on the ground again, rollig around and howling in pain as his shoulder burned worse than before. It was even steaming! It hurt so much...

"Good night Drackey Poo."Pansy whispered as she disappeared into the dark once more.

A/N That's a good chapter right? I found it dark and creepy... dedicated to all the creepy zombie flicks out there! Luv em!!!


	23. Chapter 20

A/N Another chapter... just shows how much time I have. In truth I want to get my ideas down as they come so on with chapter 20! **BREE** is aknowledged now!!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm so sad... nothing is mine. Ah well, it's fun to mess with someone else's story I suppose!!

* * *

The next day dawned clear and bright through the trees overhead. No one would guess that these woods were filled with such disturbing and evil beings. Everyone was amazed to find Draco still asleep long after everyone else had woken up. Hermione knelt beside him and picked up the syringe.

"Maybe someone gave him the antidote during the night." She said hopefully. The others said nothing, hoping she was right.

Her voice had broken through Draco's empty sleep, more for recuperation than anything. Slowly he opened his eyes and felt relieved as he saw her clearly for the first time since before the zombie attack. A wave of emotion overcame him and he sat bolt upright into her arms. "Hermione!"

Shakily, she gently rubbed his back as he buried his face in her shoulder, allowing his emotions to show just this once. Anyone who knew Draco from school would not have recognized him then as tears fell down his cheeks. Tears of relief and tears of sorrow for what he had given up for life, for a chance to protect the others from himself. He knew he had given up Hermione.

"Draco, are you ok? What happened?" She asked softly.

He shook his head. "Never mind that, it doesn't matter. The point is we're all ok."

The others nodded in silent agreement. Still, no one felt really comfortable with the fact that someone they didn't even know about had come and healed him. It was kind of creepy. They silently packed up and began their trip again, Maggie in the front as always. Draco hung back and by touching her shoulder, had Hermione hang back too.

"I-I have something for you 'Mione." He said nervously, digging in his pocket. His hand closed around the necklace, strangely cold to his touch. Instantly, he was filled with dark thoughts, of things that would end life as we knew it.

"Oh really? What is it?" She asked truly curious.

Draco pulled the cursed thing out of his pocket, revealing it for the first time. It sparkled coldly in the light but there was no turning back now.

"Oh, Draco it's uh... gorgeous really." Hermione said. It was beautiful, but there was something about it... the colors maybe, it made her feel weird... like she wouldn't be happy with that necklace.

"It was my mothers." Draco lied. "I know you don't like the Slytherin colors, but this is supposed to be a special necklace. I wouldn't give it to just anybody."

"It's wonderful Draco! Don't worry about it." She said reassuringly. She took the necklace and fastened it around her neck. The clasp closing signified something for Draco... the closing door of any future he could have had with this girl. Instantly a change seemed to overcome Hermione's face. All emotion faded, replaced by a cold but blank expression. "I feel strange..."

Draco backed away slightly, disgusted with himself. He could almost hear Pansy's laughter, echoing around him like the last sound a person could hear before going mad. Things seemed to spin, blur and shift. Finally, Draco couldn't take it, he gave up and walked ahead putting as much space between Hermione and himself as possible. He couldn't bear to see her like this.

* * *

Alex was kicked awake by Blaise. She blinked in the sudden rush of sunlight and realized that she had fallen asleep by the fireplace where she had sat to keep warm. Though she only had maybe three hours total; of sleep, Blaise was in no mood to feel pity.

"Do you lay around all day?" He demanded. "What a waste!"

"What do you wish Master?" She demanded in this tired sort of voice.

"Don't use that tone with me muggle." Blaise snapped.

"You're not happy at all today Master." Alex said trying a different approach... one that would hopefully save her a beating or two. "What is wrong? Was it something I did? I can be so stupid sometimes..." She nearly choked on her words, this was unbearable.

Surprisingly, it seemed to work. Blaise's face softened and he looked down at her with something very close to pity... at least as close as he could get. He knelt beside her and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. "Not you... just something my so-called friends doing..."

Alex said nothing. She knew he meant Draco. Doubt and anger was clouding those dark eyes of his again. Quickly she thought of something. "I wish I could help..." What a load of crap!

But once again it worked. He stared at her for a moment. Then touched her cheek. "How did a pretty muggle like you get so wrapped up in this? You don't deserve it."

"It's all that Hermione Granger's fault. If she had not come along and ruined my life..." Alex could have slapped herself. Of course she didn't mean what she was saying but if she could just get Blaise to stop beating her up all the time, maybe even trust her, she might live longer in this mad house.

Blaise nodded in agreement. "I knew that mudblood was nothing but trouble. But don't you worry, soon you won't have to worry about her ever again..."

The words sent a shiver down her spine. "W-what are you going to do?"

Blaise didn't answer. Instead he gave her a crooked smile and said, "Brave muggle Alex, always worried about someone other than herself."

Blaise leaned down and captured her mouth in a harsh kiss for the second time in a span of 24 hours. This was getting old. He smiled placidly at her then got up and left her side to take a shower. Alex let out a long sigh, all she could do to prevent herself from gagging. 'This guy has some major problems.' she thought staring in the direction he had gone.

* * *

Rosie was getting tired. Her legs ached, she was smelly and sweaty, and the bugs biting at her neck did nothing to improve the matter. As she slapped one away, she noticed a clearing up ahead. Maggie was running full force towards it. Rosie quickly followed thinking, 'Alex better be here or someone's going to pay.'

"Rosie! Rosie where are you going?" Hermione called running after her muggle friend. "Rosie!"

Rosie ignored her. "Alex! Alex are you there? ALEX!!!"

One by the one, the group ran towards the clearing. They all stopped dead at the sight that awaited them. Billy quickly moved to Rosie's side pulling her close, his eyes riveted on the lone tree in the middle of the clearing. When Draco moved to do the same for Hermione, she backed away keeping her eyes on the tree. Chris too stared up at it, entranced.

"What is this Sleepy Hollow?" He whispered, referring to a movie starring Johnny Depp as the handsome, yet jumpy Ichabod Crane.

Indeed the tree looked like something out of a horror movie. It's limbs were twisted and knotted, growing in a shape that remarkably resembled a creature not from this world, but from something beyond. There was no denying it... this was an evil tree.

"I don't like this place." came Rosie's muffled voice from where her face was pressed into Billy's shoulder. She pulled away and gazed at the tree blankly. "I don't like this at all."

"Of course you don't!" snapped Draco. "None of us do! The girls obviously not here so lets just leave and give up."

"No! Draco you know as well as I that Alex must be around here. This-" Hermione gestured toward the tree. "This is only here to scare us or make us believe that she's not anywhere around here! We are not just going to turn back, I didn't think you were a coward..."

"This is no ordinary tree Hermione!" Draco shot back. He knew she was right, he had known it all along, but this was his last chance to try and save Hermione from whatever they had planned with that necklace.

"But that's where Alex is and I'm not turning back." Hermione said as if closing the topic for discussion. Suddenly a wind picked up, whipping their hair back against their faces and into their eyes. Hermione squinted through her curls and saw that there was something coming towards them. "What is that?"

Chris gulped. "That... looks like a headless horseman."

"Bloody hell why all the movie hints?" Draco snarled angrilly as the thing trotted towrds them on it's nightmare black steed. The horse had red eyes, manacing and dangerous. It's owner had no eyes... no head, just a collar arching high above it's neck making it appear more sinister than ever.

"Oh bloody hell... here we go again." said Rosie for the first time imitating the english accent her friends had been so good at (twop because they were english and Alex loved to pretend she was). No one bothered to say anything back.

'There are two kinds of evil creatures in this world' Billy couldn't help thinking, the logic coming to mind as if he was recalling a lecture. Only this lecture had never been given before this moment. He knew the horsemen was the one giving it because he knew the others were thinking the same thing.

'There are those that take lives... killing and cursing leaving few alive to remember and morn the rest...' Thought Chris.

'You would like to think that's the worst possible way they could hurt you, but some know differently...' Rosie's mind screamed.

'Then there's the kind that take away what you most fear... not your life, but something else.' Draco tried to block the thoughts but they wouldn't leave.

'There are those who take you as you are, without telling you if you shall live or suffer and die... that is the kind my friends...' came the voice in Hermione's thoughts. Her eyes stayed locked on the horseman. 'That's the kind you should be fearing... right now.'

No one had time to react. In a heartbeat he had spurred the horse and was galloping towards them at full speed. The necklace around Hermione's neck gave a spark of life, flashing in it's own sunlight, drawing the horseman toward it. With one last scream Hermione was taken from her friends... kidnapped by the headless horseman.

A/N Ah I'm such a busy little beaver lately. I do like this chapter. In case there was any confusion, they were all hearing the same thing. I just thought it seemed cooler to seperate them amongst the people. They all heard the whole speech given by the creep though so don't get confused, please!


	24. Chapter 21

A/N Yet another chapter... my goodness, usually people have no time during finals, I have all the time in the world!!! Anyhow, I realize I'm writing this really fast, the ideas can't stay in my head forever. I'm just so glad my computer's up and running again! BREE wanted to be acknowledged (again) so low and behold BREE is my friend (now acknowledged) LOL.

Disclaimer Mine... it's all mine!!! Just kidding, all I can say is I wish. Nothing is all mine.

Long after the horseman had galloped off, Draco stared after him, oblivious to the accusing stares he was receiving from Chris, Rosie, Billy and even Maggie. He just watched the wind slowly die down and Hermione's scream died down and eventually faded into the trees. She was gone and it was because of him. He laughed.

"What's wrong with you?" Rosie demanded stepping back nervously.

Billy slapped Draco across the face. "Get a grip, will you?"

Draco slapped him back, his laugh becoming louder than before. He turned to Chris with tears leaking down from the corners of his eyes. "Chris... they're both gone... ha ha ha... now I can honestly... hahaha... say I know... cows can feel..."

He trailed off, falling to the ground and beating at it with his fists. Chris gulped uncertainly, then he two began to laugh.

"What's wrong with you two?" Rosie demanded, now fully backing away from them.

"Nothing! That's just it Rosie!! I've never felt better!" Chris cried out, twirling in a circle before grabbing Rosie's hands and dancing around the tree.

"Hey!" Billy grabbed Rosie defensively and glared at Chris. "Back off, you fruitcake."

"Fruitcake!" Draco yelled. "Where'd you here that rubbish?"

"Alex used to say it." Rosie answered, tears forming. She looked up at Chris, "Chris... this isn't you. You're not happy and you know it. Draco's not happy either... he's talking about cows for crying out loud!"

"No, no... not true. I did mention cows... but it wasn't intentional... I meant to say I know how he feels." Draco butted in.

"But cows do sound a lot better Draco. You know how they eat fields..." Chris admitted.

"I've seen a cow before..."

"Really? So have I... they're really amazing animals, don't you think? I mean they've got what, 4 stomachs?"

"Hem, Hem." Rosie said, ending their discussion immediately. She turned to Chris and said softly, "You may think you're happy... You may want to say you're happy, but you're not Chris. I can tell. Your smile may reach your lips but it doesn't reach your eyes. Think about it... didn't you feel happier with Alex on the way to the airport? Remember that?"

"Yes actually... yes I do." Chris said, suddenly serious. His smile faded and his eyes turned glazed as he remembered the feel of Alex's fingers in his hair as she retied his bandana. The way she smiled at him as they sped down Main Street during their "get away". "I was... much happier than. Compared to that, this is unbearable sadness."

"See?" Rosie pointed out. Then she turned to Draco, now utterly silent as he sat in the dirt staring up at her like a child who knew he had done something wrong and was about to be punished. She knelt beside him. "Do you remember Draco? Do you remember how important Hermione was to you that day at the tennis courts, how you denied you liked her yet you wanted to give her something special?"

"Yeah... I remember that. So what? Hermione's gone and she was nothing special. Just another girl to me." Draco answered, suddenly angry and cold-hearted.

Rosie raised an eyebrow at him. "Draco, you know that's not true!"

"It's true if I want it to be!" Draco yelled, jumping to his feet and stomping off in the direction they had already came from.

"Draco, you're going the wrong way!" Billy yelled.

"So what? I t doesn't matter which way I go anymore! I give up on this whole thing, I'm going home!" he called over his shoulder, waving a hand good-bye at them.

"Great! This is just perfect!" Rosie cried to no one in particular. "I'm stuck in the woods in some foreign country with no food, no protection, I'm next to the devil tree, and all these creatures that want to hurt me! What's wrong with this picture? WHY ME?"

And so the three muggles sat down in the clearing, as far from the tree as possible. They sat huddled together, mourning over their predicament. Though none of them were going to give up the plan to search for Alex, none of them had much hope.

Alex sat on the bare floor looking about her with wary eyes. Sadly she ran her fingers through her pretty long hair, wondering what on earth she was going to do. Blaise had left an hour ago saying he'd be right back. At first she believed this would be the perfect chance to escape because he didn't seem to be preparing to lock her in. All hope was abandoned however when he put the heavy iron shckles around her ancles.

Now she rubbed her ankles, attempting to ease the pain of the iron rubbing against her skin. She looked toward the small window and felt her muscles tense. She had to get to the window. She had to see the world... the real, normal world.

Shakily, she got to her feet and inched her way towards it so her chains would not trip her. When she reached it, she grabbed the bars for support to take some of the weight of her poor feet (she was sure her ankles were bleeding now).

Shaking her hair out of her eyes she peered out into the trees. 'I must be in a forrest somewhere.' She thought. She looked directly down and gasped as she recognized the five figures in front of her prison. There were six if you included the tiny black cat sitting nearest to her. There was also another figure, swiftly approaching through the trees.

She pounded as best she could on the window, trying to get her friends attention, but they couldn't hear her. 'I must be too high up.' She thought sadly. She picked up a nearby paper weight from Blaise's writing desk and through it against the window as hard as she could. Only there was no shatter. It bounced back as if made of foam but when it neiled Alex in the stomach it was just as hard as ever.

Bent over, gasping for breath, Alex attempted to stand again. She grimaced as pain shot through her stomach. "That's going to leave a mark." she whispered. Lately with no one else around, she had gotten to talking to herself more frequently then usual.

She looked back out the window and gasped as Hermione was carried away by the new comer. Then there seemed to be an argument as Draco ran off into the woods somewhere, no doubt giving up. Alex was just about to turn away when she saw Draco come face to face with someone else. Her eyes narrowed as she realize they were talking.

"What are you doing?" came a drunk voice behind her. There standing in the doorway was a very intoxicated Blaise. He looked from Alex to the window, to the paper weight by her feet. His eyes turned cold. "You weren't trying to escape were you?"

"E-escape? No of course not, why would I do that?" For once she was telling the truth. She began to try flattery again, "Why should I bother, I know you're too cunning for me. You'd catch me in a heartbeat."

"You're right about that, but I don't believe you." He answered shortly, walking over to her. He stood right in front of her, his foul breath making her nose itch. "You were trying to escape don't you dare lie to me!"

"I wasn't, really-" she protested.

With an angry roar he grabbed her by her hair and pulled. She arched her back to ease the pain but couldn't prevent the cry from falling from her open mouth. Tears stung her eyes again but she kept them closed. Blaise's hold softened and he began playing with her hair.

"You have such pretty long hair..." He whispered. "It would be awful if something were to happen to it..."

Alex didn't like the sounds of this. Sure enough, Blaise paralyzed her and approached with a pair of scissors. She tried to close her eyes but found she couldn't. The spell was too powerful. So while he attacked her hair she stood like a statue, staring straight ahead as curtain after curtain of dark hair fell to the floor near her feet.

Finally, he finished and removed the curse. She sank to the floor sobbing. In a moment of blinded sadness, she attempted to gather up her fallen hair but Blaise had already vanished it to the wastebasket.

"We don't want you crying over lost hair, do we?" Blaise asked sweetly. "Consider this a lesson. Never lie to me and never try to escape. Be thankful I like you so much muggle, it could have been worse."

Alex ignored him, having no desire to be thankful. She crawled to a croner of the room and wept, running her fingers over what was left of her hair. The longest strands were in the front and they only reached her ears. She screamed in anger, glaring at Blaise's back.

Rosie heard a noise that made her jump. She hopped to her feet as the dreaful scream peirced the night. "Oh my god, did you guys hear that?"

"How could we not?" Billy asked softly, gazing at the tree. "It came from there."

"A tree can't scream, that's impossible." Chris argued.

"Chris, we just travelled all over the place with two of the characters from Harry Potter... anythings possible." Rosie insisted.

"When you're right, you're right." Chris said simply. He stood up and walked around the tree. Maggie quickly followed him. "One problem, there's no opening to the tree."

Maggie quickly jumped up and latched on to a branch with her teeth. With a small growl, she pulled down. Chris, taking a hint, helped her. Almost immediately, a small hole appeared in the trunk near the roots.

"Looks like we got a feild trip." Billy said.

"Do you think they'll give us a tour?" Rosie added with a small smile.

Chris said nothing. Alex had to be here... she just had to be. This was where their adventure would end. The question was, would they live to have another one?

A/N And into the tree they shall go! Sound good? I dunno, I think it'll be cool but then again, I'm weird. No bloody heads like in Sleepy Hollow starring Johnny Depp, I promised. That's just too cruel for my taste. About the whole hair thing, that's always been tied to true torture for me, losing all my hair. I don't know why but it seems really evil and underhanded. My hair shall grow on and on!


	25. Alone

_I am... alone. No one's here next to me..._

_no one's here to save me._

_Will you bring the light?_

_Will you bring the key?_

_Will you give me sight?_

_Will you set me free?_

I sit alone in a small circle of light.... all around on all sides is black. They don't accept me, they want to punish me. What have I done... what have we done? I cry into the tattered ends of my dress... my knees tucked up under my chin. The tears sting my eyes, they burn my cheeks.

_I am... alone. No one's here next to me._

_There's no light to guide me._

_Will you end my fear?_

_Will you take me away?_

_Are you already here?_

_Do you want me to stay?!_

Sounds reverberate off the walls of my mind. My own sobs... my own voice, the endless pleas echoing with empty promise. Nobody is coming... Nobody will ever come.

_I am... alone._


	26. Chapter 22

1A/N Another day, another chapter. This shows how much free time I have... this calms me down, but you don't care about that. I bet you don't even read this so I can talk to myself as much as I want! LOL!

Disclaimer: Don't own it!!!!

Draco stopped dead in his tracks as a figure threw off an invisibility cloak right in front of him. He was a good ways a way from the others so he doubted they heard him scream.

Pansy pouted. "Relax Drackey, it's only me."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I screamed." He answered angrily. He pushed her aside and began to walk again, keeping his eyes on the ground to watch where his feet were taking him.

"Don't you walk away from me!" Pansy squealed. She grabbed his arm and her grip was so strong, he couldn't get away. He was forced to stop and meet her gaze. "What's your problem lately, Draco? You're not the same as you used to be! The mudblood finally got to you, eh?"

"Let me go Pansy."

"Why don't you answer my question, DRACO."

Draco glared at her so forcefully she stepped away, never releasing his arm. He inspected the area around her fierce grip and asked, "What's up with you, do you have man-hands or something? You're stronger than Blaise."

Her grip hardened if possible. "That's not very nice, Malfoy. I find that equally sexist and offensive."

"Yeah, Hermione would have said the same thing..." Draco said thoughtfully. Then he frowned and turned back to Pansy. "Did you, of all people, just call me Malfoy?"

But Pansy didn't seem to hear him. Her face was pale and she seemed at a loss for words... like she had never seen anyone like him before. Like he was an alien... Slowly, she stuttered, "Did you just call mudblood Granger, Hermione?"

Too late he caught his mistake. He began to try and explain his way out of the truth. He tried making up stories and other false facts to get him out of Pansy's wrath. Then he stopped and realized something. He didn't care anymore what she thought. He had to save Hermione! Quickly he said, "All those times calling her by her first name must have got to my head. Now, where did you say they took her?"

Pansy's eyes narrowed. "I hadn't said anything about it. Why do you ask?"

Draco shrugged casually. "Well I just figured I worked so hard to bring her this far, don't I deserve to see her pain for myself?"

Pansy looked at him skeptically again. Then after much thinking, she seemed to decide something. "If you really want to see, I suppose I could bring you back with me. I was just here to find out where you and your uh.. Muggle friends were so I could call Blaise to come get them."

"What about Crabbe and Goyle? Don't they usually do the dirty work?"

"You silly goose, you've been gone so long. They were captured during the overthrow at Hogwarts. The idiots tried to take on the entire flank of Aurors." Pansy informed him. "Now come on, lets go get Blaise to get these guys."

"No!" Draco cut in quickly. "I mean, why bother Blaise? We can take them ourselves right? It will be like old times... remember?"

"Oh Drackey! How could I forget?" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He let her. Then she added, "It's good to have you back Draco."

"It's good to be back..." Draco said quietly, feeling his heart give a shudder.

"Things will work out better this way anyways." Pansy continued. "That way there Blaise wont be separated from his new slave. He's so devoted to that muggle girl, I wouldn't know which one was the slave if he hadn't put her in those chains."

"What? What muggle girl are you talking about?"

"The one we captured silly! You'll be amazed how strong she is! She's the most stubborn girl I know. Pity she's growing so weak under the care of Blaise, she would've made a great ally."

Draco's eyes flashed. Alex had been left in the care of Blaise? This was a wonderful update... Blaise was the most abusive and sexist man Draco ever met. He was worse than Draco's father! Looks like Alex was in need of rescuing too. He sighed.

"What? What's wrong?" Pansy asked.

"Nothing. I just can't wait to capture those muggles... like old times. One of those teary- eyed moments." He explained, wiping an imaginary tear.

Pansy laughed. "I see you're impatient. Shall we go then?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

Rosie lifted her head from the tops of her knees. She had been sitting like that for who knows how long and only moved because she heard something. She looked around. Billy was leaning up against a tree snoring, a small trickle of drool falling from his open mouth. Chris was nowhere in sight.

"Chris?" she called nervously, standing up. Her voice grew stronger. She shouted. "Chris?!"

Chris appeared through the crowded under brush. He walked towards her, alarmed by her sudden panic. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Rosie placed a hand over her heart dramatically. "I- I thought we lost you. I couldn't find you."

"I'm right here. I was trying to check where we are and get your cat to lead me to where Alex is hidden. Your cat wont cooperate. She wouldn't move a muscle unless she was running back towards you. She's quite the smart one... never abandons her owner."

"She has a name you know." Rosie insisted.

"Well I'm sorry. All this time and I must not have caught her name." Chris said politely. He bowed to the cat sitting at Rosie's feet. "Why hello, my name is Chris and you are-?"

Rosie scratched Maggie's head. "This is Maggie. She says hello."

"Delighted to make your acquaintance Miss Maggie. Might I compliment on you choice of wardrobe? Black is very useful for camouflage in the woods at night." He continued.

Rosie laughed. "Kind sir, you are complimenting my cat, who probably doesn't even care what you're saying to her as long as she gets attention when she wants it."

Billy woke up suddenly. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Rosie asked blinking.

"There's something coming this way. I heard it." Billy explained. Rosie quickly checked her own wardrobe. Jeans and a white jersey with the number 73 on it. Not good for camouflage in the woods.

Chris ducked behind a tree, motioning for the others to be quiet. They followed but sadly that didn't help them much. Instantly, they were tied and gagged. His eyes widened as he watched. Wizards! He stayed behind the tree as the two culprits came into view. He only saw their backs, covered in black robes and hooded.

"That's two." said a distinct woman's voice. "Where's the third."

The other one didn't say anything. Chris took this opportunity to sneak up behind them with his weapon of choice, a log. He raised it like a batter standing at the plate, ready to hit that home run. Just at the last second, the wizard turned around and Chris found he couldn't do it. The log dropped from his hands and landed between them as they faced each other. The wizard was silent.

"Draco." was all that came out of Chris' mouth before he too was bound and gagged by Pansy, who added unconsciousness to keep him that way.

"I don't trust this one." she explained. "Sneaky little devil isn't he?"

"Yes." agreed Draco, not meeting her eyes but staring down at Chris lying stiller than he ever had since Alex had been taken. "He is very sneaky."

A/N OK, that's this chapter, no Alex but oh well... she's in many it would seem. Bree thanks for the comic strip... YOU'RE RECOGNIZED!


	27. Chapter 23

A/N Here's the next chapter! Sorry it took so long! I've been busy with new classes and all but you don't want to hear that! BREE is acknowledged by ME!

Disclaimer: DON'T OWN IT! Lol!

Alex banged on the wall with all her might but nothing happened of course. She was furious. 'How dare he! Who did he think he was? I t had taken her years to grow her hair out and he thinks he can get away with this?' She leaned back and screamed into the empty air above her head, "How could you do this to me!"

Only now she wasn't sure who this was directed at. Sure, blaming that snot-nosed pain Blaise was simple enough- she hated him. But was he really the one at fault here? Who was really to blame for her situation?

She clamped her hands over her ears. "No stop!" This wasn't right. Of course Blaise was to blame! She pounded her temples. "Get out of my head."

"What's wrong my dear little muggle girl? Your mind seems troubled." Blaise' voice echoed in her ear drums from within the very farthest reaches of her mind.

"Get out of my head! What your doing has to be illegal!" She screamed.

He laughed. "You think the laws could stop me? When did I ever listen to rules? Come on now, you've read the books. Slytherin is above all! Laws are just rules and rules were made to be broken, right?"

"No, now get out!" She yelled, both mentally and physically. There was this jolt that went through her sending her backwards into the very wall she had been abusing. Now the wall seemed to be getting even. She blinked back the stars floating in front of her eyes. Before her stood Blaise in fantastic robes of emerald green. They contrasted sharply with his eyes, bright yellow and inhuman.

"I didn't want to do that." He said, sounding quite exasperated, like he had been running. His hair was slightly mussed and his face glistened with a pale sweat. "It hurt both of us you know, you most of all. We don't want any accidental harm to befall you do we?"

He looked ready to slap her. Alex hid her fear and just shook her head at him.

"Good." He said sternly. He sat down in his chair. "Now come here."

She obeyed nervously. She didn't feel very well. She stood before him gazing about warily, keeping on alert. She wouldn't trust Blaise for the world. Through clenched teeth she asked, "Yes Master?"

"That's a girl." Blaise said ignoring her angry glare. He inspected her features then said softly, "You seem really unhappy, almost unwell. What can we do to make you happier, hm?"

"You can let me go you filthy pig-nosed selfish spoiled-"

"Sh. Now that's enough of that. I'm not being so cold towards you am I? I think we can discuss this as two civilized people. "Unfortunately, letting you go is out of the question. Anything else?"

She suddenly got an idea. Neville was still stuck in that awful room being tortured no doubt. She smiled sweetly at Blaise, she had to work for this one. "Well, I could use some company to keep me entertained while you're gone and I have no one to talk to. You don't know how lonely it can get."

Blaise thought for a moment. "Well I could always ask one of the death eaters-"

"No!" Alex said quickly. Blaise glanced up at her becoming suspicious now. "I mean, well I can't really talk to one of them. They all want to kill me, unlike you my forgiving master." She almost choked on her tongue. "I need someone I can trust more who isn't going to hex me to an oblivion. Someone who might not be very well at magic perhaps?"

"Perhaps..." said Blaise, pondering the thought. "You have a point about the death eaters, they aren't as kind as I am..." It took all of Alex' control to prevent herself from strangling him. "There is that Longbottom child, but I think he's in questioning at this time."

"Longbottem! Ugh, that's disgusting! But he would do... I suppose." she looked really unhappy as she said this making sure Blaise caught the way she seemed to look sick at the mention of Neville. It worked.

"Excellent, then it is settled" Blaise said with a sly smile. "That Longbottom kid will be sent here immediately after questioning is through."

Alex suppressed a smile as she watched Blaise prepare to leave. Slowly a frown worked onto her face. "Where are you going master"

"Well, I have to uh, go to the meeting hall to speak with the dark lord. We believe something has turned up." He answered. On his way out the door, he caught her confused expression. With a smile he said"We think we may have caught that Granger girl. About time, too."

* * *

Hermione was being carried through the massive hallway slung over the great shoulder of the horseman. Just recently she had woken up and what a shock it was to see the ground above her as she swung limply to and fro. Then the truth dawned on her. She was kidnapped and they were going nowhere good.

She began to pound on the horseman's shoulders. "Let me go! Put me down you stupid- ow, oh you wait until my friends get here! They wont be afraid of you"

She hoped she was right.

* * *

Blaise sat next to the Dark Lord himself in the main Hall, awaiting the rather noisy arrival of the mudblood Granger. He blinked, looking tired with it all when in fact, he was quite interested to see what would happen next. Even the Dark Lord was looking rather eager at the momnet, leaning forward in his chair, gazing at the door with wide and determined eyes.

"Master, what are our plans for Granger" Blaise asked him softly.

Voldemort turned his eyes to Blaise but rather than becoming angry at the interruption, he smiled wickedly. "Well Blaise, the plan is simple, we are going to kill Granger"

With the last two words his heavy hand pounded on the table with enoug force to crack it. There was a manic look in his eyes and Blaise became frightened for his saftey as he sat next to the Dark Lord.

Several minutes passed. Voldemort calmed down some and now sat studying a dagger. Emeralds and Silver made the hilt with a blood red ruby at the very end. The blade itself looked sharp and glittered coldly in the light thrown over it by the fire burning in the hearth.

Blaise shivered as he noticed the blade. Of course, Voldemort had to do things the hard way. No clean death for Granger, he was going to literally kill her in cold blood. Blaise could now see that that was indeed the name of the small dagger... Cold Blood. 'I wonder if Alex would like to watch...' he thought with an evil smile. Extended periods of time in Voldemorts presence sort of rubbed off on you.

The door was suddenly thrown open. Voldemort immediately set down the dagger and gazed at the figure approaching. Blaise felt his jaw drop.

Standing before them was a headless horseman, carrying a girl slung over his shoulder. The girl was weakly pounding on his back and shouting in a rather hoarse voice. Without a word (Blaise guessed he couldn't speak if he tried) the horseman set the girl down so that she was sitting on the table, gazing apprehensively around her. When she noticed Voldemort and Blaise, she stifled a small gasp and sat so that she could glare at them.

Beside him, Blaise heard Voldemort give a chuckle. The Dark Lord never laughed. Blaise turned his eyes back to the girl and felt himself heave a sigh.

Hermione Granger was sitting before him, helplessly on the table, awaiting death, and all he wanted to do was get this over with.

A?N What do you think? Is it ok? I can't wait to starty the next chapter, this is getting interesting (to me at least).


	28. Chapter 24

A/N here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own it anymore, I gave it to J.K. Rowling! JK! It's always been hers.

* * *

Hermione sat cross legged and gazed defiantly into the cold red eyes of Voldemort. "Go ahead, kill me! You'll never get Harry!"

"My dear, daft little girl, I am the Dark Lord and the Dark Lord gets whatever he wants." Voldemort said sternly.

A shadow darkened the door as a hooded figure walked in. "My Lord, there is a group at the front door demanding to be let in. Perhaps you should come check?"

The dark Lord's eyes flashed. "Blaise, you go check it out!"

"Yes sir." Blaise said, grateful to be leaving the side of his master. He rushed out into the long narrow hallway and stepped through the curtains veiling the most secretive parts of the place. Now that he was in the more common areas, there was much hustling as the dark wizards went about their dark business. It took all his keen eyesight not to lose the wizard bringing him to greet the newcomers.

Now as he stood in front of the door he smoothed his robes and made sure his hair looked perfect before withdrawing his wand from his pocket and motioning for the door to be opened.

In walked Pansy and Draco, holding a rope between them. They gave a heavy tug and three figures were thrown onto the floor at Blaise's feet. He sneered at them as they turned their snotty faces up to him. More muggles...

One of the boys stood up. Quickly, he wrapped his tied hands around Blaise's thin neck and tightened his grip. He sneered and his dark eyes seemed to glitter with hatred. He looked wild as a peice of hair fell into his face. "Where's Alex?"

"T-the muggle girl?" Blaise managed to choke out. He snapped his fingers and Draco instantly pulled the boy away from him, throwing him once more to the ground.

"Traitor..." the boy whimpered softly as he was kicked in the gut by Pansy. Blaise smiled, knowing he'd enjoy this. He knelt beside the prisoner.

"Alex is doing just fine. She's as happy as a bluebird. Of course if you wish to see her yourself, I can bring you to her. She's up in my chambers right now..."

The boy jumped at him again, this time both landed heavily with the prisoners hands wrapped once more around Blaise's neck. "I'll kill you! Do you hear me? You're dead!"

Blaise laughed as the blue eyed girl... the only girl prisoner darted forward and seized the man by the arms. "Chris stop it! This will get you nowhere... just let go!"

"Where's Alex!" Chris demanded, trying to shake the girl off.

"I already told you... she's in my chambers..." Blaise giggled. "Would I lie?"

With that he threw Chris off his feet and he watched the boy slam into the wall. He fell with a heavy thud. The other muggles immediately rushed to help him.

"Chris! Oh my god... Billy he's not breathing... Chris wake up!" the girl screamed.

"Rosie come on. Get away and let me see." Billy said pushing Rosie lightly aside to see his friend unconsciously slumped against the wall. Rosie took to pleading with Draco.

"Why? Why would you do this? I thought you were our friend... we trusted you! What about Hermione!" she begged, tears in her eyes. Draco just glared at her blankly.

"I've had enough of this." Blaise said, at once becoming bored. He clapped and another wizard came forward, immediately grabbing the bindings of each prisoner and leading them down a long dark hallway. Draco stared after them with a guarded expression on his face, allowing Pansy and Blaise to steer him away.

* * *

Alex blinked as the heavy door was heard being opened. Immediately, she dropped from her perch on the windowsill where she had been debating her chances of jumping. She winced at the sound of her heavy chains hitting the stone floor, but whoever opened the door didn't seem to care, for a young man was thrown in and the door was slammed shut once more.

The young man sat on the floor, shaking slightly as he sobbed and shivered. Tentatively ALex took a step forward and called out, "Neville? Is that you?"

He looked up at her with a glare of defiance which was immidiately replaced by a softer gaze as he recognized who it was. Hoarsely he spoke through dry lips that hadn't been used for a long time. "I remember you... you're that muggle girl aren't you? The one who was kidnapped to help them find Hermione right?"

"Y-yes... that's right. Not voluntarily of course, I would never turn Hermione in..." ALex said nervously.

Neville showed her a smile. It was small and weak but it was an attempt and she knew it. She could not help but smile back. A little more calmly he said, "So are you the reason I was so kindly thrown in here?"

"Yes I told them I wanted company and Blaise listened to me... is that ok?"

His eyes filled to brimming with tears as he sobed out his hapiness and relief. "Thank you so much! You don't know what it was like down there... you weren't there as long! They wanted me to tell them secrets... stuff even I would never give away... it was awful! All the torture they would put me through for remaining silent, I thought I would crack... thank you so much..."

Uneasily, she walked over and patted him on the back. "There, there Neville... it's alright. I'm only sorry I couldn't free you... I wish we could get out of this place! Blaise will surely kill me once he gets tired of having me around... I hope he doesn't expect things from me..."

That's when Neville noticed the chains around her ankles. He looked up at her sadly. "He won't let you go, will he?"

She shook her head. "He will never let me go... I'm his own little muggle slave..."

Neville grimaced a little then smiled. "Anyways... thank you."

"No problem really... I just wish I could see my friends again-" Alex began. Just then they heard voices in the hallway. There were yells and thuds as a huge group of people went bye. She motioned for Neville to be quiet then placed her ear against the door.

"Let me go! Let us go, we just came for the muggle girl!" Came a familiar voice. Alex stiffled a gasp. That was Rosie! Another moment of listening informed her that Chris and Billy were there too. She practically jumped for joy but then she heard the voices going away... they were being taken somewhere else!

"No!" she cried pounding on the door. She sank to her knees sobbing uncontrollably. So close... they had been so close, only to be snatched away again. This was plain torture. "Bring them back..."

Neville sighed, biting back his own tears... he sat beside her and tried to smile.

* * *

After seeing that the new prisoners were thrown in a cell, Blaise returned to his master who had not yet killed the girl. Voldemorte looked up when he entered. Quickly Blaise said, "The rest of the muggles are here, Draco and Pansy brought them in."

"Excellent!" The Dark Lord cried. "Apparently I was wrong about Craco betrying us. Alright then, they shall all witness the my first step towards my most wonderous triumph: The End of Harry Potter!"

His eyes landed on Hermione. She looked back, truly frightened. Loudly, she gulped.

A/N It took me forever to get this out. If there are typos I am sorry do forgive me!


	29. Chapter 25

A/N Me again. Well, I hope you liked the last chapter. This next one should be more active, we're getting near the end... I already have more ideas running through my head... lol.

Disclaimer: It's not my story, I don't own it and I think J.K. Rowling must be a genius with quite a bit of patience to come up with this.

* * *

A great gong sounded through the house. Alex barely had time to lift her head before a wizard grabbed her roughly by the arms and heaved her to her feet. Neville was already being dragged out the door. Alex began to panic. She squirmed but the wizards grip only tightened.

"Where are you taking me? Let me go!" she cried trying to tug her arm free. There was a lot of noise behind her.

"Alex?" came a tentative voice. Alex turned her head and met Rosie's eyes. Rosie tried to pull away from the wizard who had her by the arm. "Alex! Oh my god, you're alive!"

Within a moment there was more slamming noises and Alex found herself attempting to gasp for breath as Chris hugged her, somehow managing to get free for that instant. Soon enough, the wizards all lost their patience and became more cruel than before. The group (with Neville taking up the front) was led down a long narrow passage.

Alex shut her eyes, the sounds of some sort of ritual chanting and drumming filling her ears. She shivered as they rounded the corner. A gasp from Rosie and a hiss from Maggie convinced her she had to look. The sight that greeted her made her wish to scream.

They were standing on some sort of balcony, peering down at the scene below. Standing in a circle of dark wizards was Hermione. She was in a long flowing white dress and the necklace Draco gave her sparkled coldly around her neck. Heavy chains were secured around her neck, wrists and ankles. Still she remained calm, staring straight ahead at Lord Voldemort himself as he smiled wickedly at her.

Draco could be seen standing on his right next to Blaise. Pansy was on the dark lord's other side. All looked serious but determined to go through with their plans.

"I can't watch..." Neville sobbed beside Alex. She put a comforting hand on his arm.

* * *

"Where's Potty now Granger?" Blaise demanded coldly. He sneered as laughter sparkled in his eyes. "I thought he and the Weasel would be here by now... you know, saving the day and everything... being the heroes they never were."

"They're a whole lot braver than you Zambini... they chose the side that took real courage to stick by..." Hermione retorted angrily. Beside Blaise, Draco shifted uncomfortably. Hermione glared at him silently... but showed nothing but hatred. No one would believe that she had once loved him.

"Silence!" The dark Lord hissed. He raised his hands over Hermione and began a chant in the language of snakes. Evil hisses fell from his lips in a never-ending stream that could only mean death for Hermione.

When he finished, he looked to Pansy who stepped forward. She drew a knife from within her robe pocket and ran it across Hermione's palm. Hermione hid her pain by looking away. Then Pansy returned to where she had stood before and offered the bloody knife to Voldemort.

"The filthy blood of one unworthy of wizardry..." Voldemort announced dramatically, holding it high. "This dagger represents the strength we shall have by gathering the blood of the one we loathe... almost as much as our one true enemy."

Hermione watched as he threw the dagger into a cauldron she hadn't noticed before. Blaise now stepped forward. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her bloody palm with it, gathering as much blood as possible. He handed it to the dark lord who raised it as well.

"This represents how blind we hope our enemies become. They cannot see through the veil therefor they cannot conquer us! This represents the upper hand we will have!" He cried and that too went into the cauldron.

Now it was Draco's turn. He stepped forward and walked right up into her face. His cold eyes never left her dark ones as he ripped the necklace off of her, not caring that the chain snapped. He pressed it into her palm and held it there with his own hand as he led her closer to the waiting cauldron. Hermione looked impassive.

* * *

Draco knew he was doing the wrong thing... at least that's what it seemed like. But why was it so wrong? Wrong for whom? What one person would consider wrong was right by someone else... so was he doing the right thing?

* * *

They had reached the cauldron. Draco picked Hermione up and carried her, as if they were newlyweds. Voldemort glared at her. Slowly he hissed, "And finally, with the sacrifice of the filthy-blooded one, the potion shall be complete and all our whims shall be granted. It's over for Potter now... say good bye."

Hermione turned to Draco as he dangled her over the cauldron. She met his eyes, tears showing through for the first time. "Good-bye."

Draco looked back at her, pausing for a moment. He knew this wasn't what he wanted, but he had too! He was a Malfoy, this was the highest honor he would get. Softly, his grip on her loosened a little, she began to shift, slipping from his grasp.

"I love you." he whispered. He held her tighter again and quickly kissed her before throwing her aside and falling back into the cauldron, still holding the necklace.

"No!" Hermione cried, but the Dark wizards were already upon her. She was trapped, unable to get away.

"My potion!" Voldemort shrieked. Quickly, he extinguished the flame and whisked away the ruined potion. The doors burst open and a group of people stormed in, just as Hermione's vision faded.

* * *

Hermione opened her eyes and met those of Alex. She gasped and sat up, looking around her. All over there were signs of battle. Bodies and ruins covered where the tree-house-place once stood.

"What happened?" Hermione demanded.

"We won!" Came Ginny's voice beside Alex. She was smiling down at Hermione with tears in her eyes. "Harry, Ron, Luna, and I showed up just as Voldemort was having his sissy fit. We beat him for good... he's dead Hermione!"

"Are you serious?" Hermione said, now crying herself. She hugged her long-lost friend just as Luna shrieked.

"Wait, guys here's a live one!"

Hermione was the first one there just as Harry raised his wand to finish off the figure lying at his feet. "Wait, don't kill him!"

Harry blinked as Hermione threw herself over the person hugging him tightly. "B-but 'Mione, it's Malfoy! He's one of them!"

"He saved my life Harry! Are you really going to kill him?" She asked, now crying. Harry dropped his hand to his side and smiled at her before walking away to continue searching the wreckage. He wasn't ok with it, but killing Draco after what he did for Hermione would be murder.

"Hermione..." Draco whispered, reaching up and touching her cheek. "I know what I did was wrong...I'm so... sorry. I really do love you..."

She was crying hard now, her tears falling onto his face. " I love you too."

They kissed right there as the group of friends looked on. Finally, their nightmare was over...

* * *

Many happy years went by. Hermione and Draco got married, their friends finally getting used to their love. Draco had no friends... they all had been killed in the last fight. He easily found new friends in Harry, Ron, all the Weasleys, and even the muggles Alex, Rosie, Chris Billy, and even Maggie.

Billy and Rosie got married of course and lived together with Maggie in a nice house with a tennis court out back.

Alex and Chris saw each other for a while but realized that things would never be the same. Chris started seeing a girl closer to where he went to college and Alex began seeing this guy she had liked forever, Brian. They got married and settled down in England somewhere.

Of course Harry and Ginny got married, after years of trying to deny it. They gave it a try and hit it off right away. Ron got over the fact6 that Hermione was gone and eventually married Luna who kept him guessing and surprised by her astounding belief in her father's paper.

Neville eventually met a nice young girl and it is believed that they are happily married somewhere. Although most details are unknown, we do know this:

And they all lived Happily Ever After

* * *

A/N Ok, how was that? It's... over? Oh my... it's over? I don't believe it... I'm sorry if it was a lousy ending. Forgive me! But hey no one too important died right? I couldn't bear to kill one of them, I read a story that killed Draco I was so sad. I was almost as sad as when Sirius died but then I remembered I was just reading a fan fic. Lol. End. 


End file.
